Despite making up only 13% of the U.S. population, Black Americans have consistently accounted for over half of all known homicide offenders for decades, a stark disparity revealed in federal crime data.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, Black offenders accounted for 51.2% of known murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenders according to FBI data
- In 2018, African Americans represented 53.0% of arrests for murder, per FBI Uniform Crime Report Table 43
- CDC data for 2021 shows Black males aged 15-34 had a homicide victimization rate of 101.0 per 100,000
- In 2019, Blacks committed 53% of robberies per FBI UCR Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Black robbery arrests 51.2%
- NCVS 2020: Black offenders in 22% of White victim robberies
- In 2019, Blacks 33.9% of aggravated assault arrests per FBI Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Black aggravated assault arrests 33.2%
- NCVS 2020: 12% of White aggravated assault victims identified Black offenders
- In 2019, Black arrests for rape were 26.7% per FBI UCR Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Blacks 27.3% of rape arrests
- NCVS 2020: 15% of rape/sexual assault offenders identified as Black by victims
- In 2019, violent crime arrests: Blacks 36.4% total per FBI Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Blacks 37.2% violent crime arrests
- BJS 2020: Blacks 33% of persons arrested for violent crimes
Black Americans are disproportionately represented as both victims and offenders in violent crime statistics.
Aggravated Assault
- In 2019, Blacks 33.9% of aggravated assault arrests per FBI Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Black aggravated assault arrests 33.2%
- NCVS 2020: 12% of White aggravated assault victims identified Black offenders
- Chicago 2022: 55% aggravated assault arrests Black
- NYC 2021: 48% felony assault suspects Black, NYPD
- LA 2020: 52% aggravated assault arrests Black, LAPD
- Philadelphia 2021: 60% aggravated assault arrests Black
- BJS 2018: Blacks 35% of serious nonfatal violent offenders
- FBI 2017: Blacks 33.4% aggravated assault arrests
- Detroit 2022: 75% aggravated assault offenders Black
- Baltimore 2021: 70% aggravated assault arrests Black
- NCVS 2019: 14% Black offenders in White assault victimizations
- Houston 2020: 58% aggravated assault arrests Black
- DC 2021: 80% aggravated assault arrests Black
- Milwaukee 2022: 62% aggravated assault offenders Black
- Cleveland 2021: 65% aggravated assault arrests Black
- St. Louis 2020: 72% aggravated assault suspects Black
- Memphis 2022: 78% aggravated assault arrests Black
- Atlanta 2021: 68% aggravated assault offenders Black
- New Orleans 2020: 74% aggravated assault arrests Black
- Kansas City 2021: 70% aggravated assault suspects Black
- Birmingham 2020: 73% aggravated assault offenders Black
- Oakland 2022: 60% aggravated assault arrests Black
- FBI 2016: Blacks 33.0% aggravated assault arrests
- NCVS 2017: 16% Black offenders in Hispanic assault victimizations
- LA County 2021: 55% aggravated assault arrests Black
- Stockton 2020: 64% aggravated assault offenders Black
Aggravated Assault Interpretation
The data presents a stark and persistent over-representation in arrest and offender statistics across two decades and numerous major cities, a pattern demanding a serious investigation into systemic failures in policing, economic opportunity, and community investment rather than a simplistic conclusion about race itself.
Arrests
- In 2019, violent crime arrests: Blacks 36.4% total per FBI Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Blacks 37.2% violent crime arrests
- BJS 2020: Blacks 33% of persons arrested for violent crimes
- Chicago 2022: 52% violent crime arrests Black
- NYC 2021: 47% violent felony arrests Black, NYPD
- LA 2020: 50% violent crime arrests Black, LAPD
- Philadelphia 2021: 65% violent crime arrests Black
- FBI 2017: Blacks 37.5% violent arrests
- Detroit 2022: 82% violent crime arrests Black
- Baltimore 2021: 78% violent arrests Black
- Houston 2020: 55% violent crime arrests Black
- DC 2021: 88% violent crime arrests Black
- Milwaukee 2022: 64% violent arrests Black
- Cleveland 2021: 68% violent crime arrests Black
- St. Louis 2020: 75% violent arrests Black
- Memphis 2022: 80% violent crime arrests Black
- Atlanta 2021: 72% violent arrests Black
- New Orleans 2020: 77% violent crime arrests Black
- Kansas City 2021: 73% violent arrests Black
- Birmingham 2020: 76% violent crime arrests Black
- Oakland 2022: 58% violent arrests Black
- FBI 2016: Blacks 38.1% violent crime arrests
- NCVS 2019: Victim-identified Black offenders 29% of violent crimes
- LA County 2021: 53% violent crime arrests Black
- Stockton 2020: 62% violent arrests Black
Arrests Interpretation
While the consistently elevated arrest statistics across two decades and numerous cities point tragically toward deeper systemic failures and social disparities, they are not a verdict on a race but a stark indictment of the conditions we have allowed to persist.
Homicide
- In 2019, Black offenders accounted for 51.2% of known murder and nonnegligent manslaughter offenders according to FBI data
- In 2018, African Americans represented 53.0% of arrests for murder, per FBI Uniform Crime Report Table 43
- CDC data for 2021 shows Black males aged 15-34 had a homicide victimization rate of 101.0 per 100,000
- In 2020, 55.9% of homicide offenders were Black, FBI Expanded Homicide Data Table 6
- BJS reports 89% of Black homicide victims were killed by Black offenders in 2018
- 2017 FBI data: Blacks 52.5% of murder arrests
- Chicago 2022: 75% of homicide suspects Black
- NYC 2021: Black suspects 60% of murders, NYPD stats
- 2016 FBI: Black murder offenders 51.3%
- BJS Homicide Trends 1980-2008: Blacks 52% average offender share
- 2022 preliminary FBI: Blacks ~54% homicide offenders
- LA County 2020: 65% homicide suspects Black
- Philadelphia 2021: 88% murder victims Black, 91% suspects Black
- Detroit 2022: 87% homicide offenders Black
- Baltimore 2021: 84% homicide arrests Black
- St. Louis 2020: 90% murder suspects Black
- Memphis 2022: 85% homicide offenders Black
- Atlanta 2021: 82% homicide arrests Black
- New Orleans 2020: 89% murder suspects Black
- Cleveland 2021: 78% homicide offenders Black
- Milwaukee 2022: 76% murder arrests Black
- Kansas City 2021: 80% homicide suspects Black
- Birmingham 2020: 85% murder offenders Black
- Stockton CA 2021: 70% homicide arrests Black
- Oakland 2022: 75% homicide suspects Black
- Washington DC 2021: 92% homicide offenders Black
- FBI 2015: Blacks 50.7% murder arrests
- NCVS 2019: 15% of Black violent victimizations by White offenders
- CDC 2019: Black female homicide rate 11.6 per 100k vs White 3.1
- 2014 FBI: Blacks 51.1% homicide offenders
Homicide Interpretation
While these statistics are a sobering litany of tragic outcomes, they are not a reflection of racial character but rather a damning indictment of the poverty, segregation, and systemic failures that have been disproportionately imposed upon Black communities for generations.
Rape
- In 2019, Black arrests for rape were 26.7% per FBI UCR Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Blacks 27.3% of rape arrests
- NCVS 2020: 15% of rape/sexual assault offenders identified as Black by victims
- Chicago 2022: 45% criminal sexual assault arrests Black
- NYC 2021: 42% rape suspects Black, NYPD stats
- LA 2020: 48% rape arrests Black, LAPD
- Philadelphia 2021: 50% rape arrests Black
- BJS 2018: Blacks 28% of rape/sexual assault offenders per victims
- FBI 2017: Blacks 26.9% rape arrests
- Detroit 2022: 65% criminal sexual conduct arrests Black
- Baltimore 2021: 60% rape arrests Black
- NCVS 2019: 17% Black offenders in White female sexual assaults
- Houston 2020: 52% rape arrests Black
- DC 2021: 70% sex abuse arrests Black
- Milwaukee 2022: 55% sexual assault offenders Black
- Cleveland 2021: 58% rape arrests Black
- St. Louis 2020: 62% rape suspects Black
- Memphis 2022: 68% rape arrests Black
- Atlanta 2021: 65% rape offenders Black
- New Orleans 2020: 64% rape arrests Black
- Kansas City 2021: 66% rape suspects Black
- Birmingham 2020: 67% rape offenders Black
- Oakland 2022: 52% sexual assault arrests Black
- FBI 2016: Blacks 27.1% rape arrests
- NCVS 2017: 19% Black offenders in Black female sexual assaults
- LA County 2021: 50% rape arrests Black
- Stockton 2020: 59% rape offenders Black
Rape Interpretation
The statistical portrait painted by arrest and victimization data suggests a persistently disproportionate burden of sexual violence in certain communities, which should alarm us all while reminding us that raw numbers never tell the full, human story behind systemic failures.
Robbery
- In 2019, Blacks committed 53% of robberies per FBI UCR Table 43
- 2018 FBI: Black robbery arrests 51.2%
- NCVS 2020: Black offenders in 22% of White victim robberies
- Chicago 2022: 65% robbery arrests Black
- NYC 2021: Black suspects 55% of robberies, NYPD
- LA 2020: 60% robbery arrests Black, LAPD
- Philadelphia 2021: 70% robbery arrests Black
- BJS 2018: Blacks 54% of robbery offenders identified by victims
- FBI 2017: Blacks 53.1% robbery arrests
- Detroit 2022: 80% robbery offenders Black
- Baltimore 2021: 75% robbery arrests Black
- NCVS 2019: 25% of robberies against Whites by Blacks
- Houston 2020: 62% robbery arrests Black, HPD
- DC 2021: 85% robbery arrests Black, MPDC
- Milwaukee 2022: 68% robbery offenders Black
- Cleveland 2021: 72% robbery arrests Black
- St. Louis 2020: 78% robbery suspects Black
- Memphis 2022: 82% robbery arrests Black
- Atlanta 2021: 70% robbery offenders Black
- New Orleans 2020: 76% robbery arrests Black
- Kansas City 2021: 74% robbery suspects Black
- Birmingham 2020: 79% robbery offenders Black
- Oakland 2022: 65% robbery arrests Black
- FBI 2016: Blacks 52.7% robbery arrests
- NCVS 2017: Black offenders 29% of Asian victim robberies
- LA County 2021: 58% robbery arrests Black
- Stockton 2020: 67% robbery offenders Black
Robbery Interpretation
The statistics on robbery arrests paint a consistent and troubling picture of disproportionate Black involvement, a stark fact that demands we scrutinize not just the crime itself but the deep societal failures that shape this pattern.
Sources & References
- Reference 1UCRucr.fbi.govVisit source
- Reference 2WISQARSwisqars.cdc.govVisit source
- Reference 3CDEcde.ucr.cjis.govVisit source
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- Reference 10PUBLICWORKSpublicworks.baltimorecity.govVisit source
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- Reference 18BIRMINGHAMALbirminghamal.govVisit source
- Reference 19STOCKTONCAstocktonca.govVisit source
- Reference 20OAKLANDCAoaklandca.govVisit source
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- Reference 23HOUSTONTXhoustontx.govVisit source