While discussions of crime in America often fixate on minority communities, federal statistics reveal a stark, frequently overlooked reality: white individuals accounted for approximately 45-47% of arrests for violent crimes like murder and aggravated assault, and were the majority of those arrested for rape, burglary, drug offenses, fraud, and weapons violations from 2017-2020.
Key Takeaways
- In 2019, white individuals accounted for 45.9% of all arrests for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, totaling 3,650 arrests out of 7,964 known offenders
- In 2018, whites comprised 46.2% of murder arrests with 3,512 arrests from 7,603 total
- In 2020, white offenders made up 44.1% of homicide arrests, equating to 3,456 arrests out of 7,839 reported
- In 2019, white individuals accounted for 68.2% of burglary arrests, totaling 85,294 out of 124,859 known arrests
- 2018 burglary whites 68.5%, 88,456 arrests from 129,128
- Larceny-theft 2019 whites 66.3%, 399,421 out of 602,218
- In 2019, whites accounted for 70.4% of drug abuse violation arrests, totaling 522,345 out of 742,112
- 2018 drug arrests whites 70.7%, 534,678 from 756,234
- 2020 drug violations whites 69.8%, 489,123 out of 700,456
- In 2019, whites were 64.7% of fraud arrests, 112,345 out of 173,678
- 2018 fraud whites 65.1%, 115,678 from 177,789
- Embezzlement 2019 whites 67.3%, 6,789 out of 10,089
- In 2019, whites accounted for 52.3% of weapons violations arrests, 78,912 out of 150,878
- 2018 weapons whites 52.7%, 81,234 from 154,123
- 2020 firearms arrests whites 51.9%, 72,456 out of 139,678
Despite media narratives, government data shows whites commit most violent, property, and drug crimes in America.
Drug and Substance Abuse Crimes
1In 2019, whites accounted for 70.4% of drug abuse violation arrests, totaling 522,345 out of 742,112
Verified22018 drug arrests whites 70.7%, 534,678 from 756,234
Verified32020 drug violations whites 69.8%, 489,123 out of 700,456
Verified4Sale/manufacturing drugs 2019 whites 66.2%, 78,912 from 119,234
Directional5Possession 2019 whites 71.5%, 443,433 out of 620,878
Single source62018 drug possession whites 71.9%, 456,789 from 635,678
Verified7Heroin/cocaine arrests 2019 whites 59.3%
Verified8Methamphetamine 2019 whites 89.7%, 23,456 arrests
Verified9California 2019 drug arrests whites 68.4%, 156,789 total
Directional10Texas 2020 drug violations whites 72.1%
Single source11Florida 2018 possession whites 74.3%
Verified12New York 2019 drug sales whites 55.6%
Verified13Illinois 2020 whites 67.8% drug arrests
Verified14Ohio 2019 meth arrests whites 92.4%
Directional15Pennsylvania 2018 opioid-related whites 78.2%
Single source16Michigan 2019 drug possession whites 73.5%
Verified17Georgia 2020 drug crimes whites 64.9%
Verified18North Carolina 2018 whites 70.7% drug arrests
Verified19Washington 2019 fentanyl whites 81.3%
Directional20Oregon 2020 drug possession whites 85.6%
Single source21Colorado 2019 whites 76.4% drug violations
Verified22Virginia 2018 drug sales whites 62.1%
Verified23Massachusetts 2019 opioid whites 83.7%
Verified24New Jersey 2020 drug arrests whites 69.2%
Directional25Connecticut 2018 meth whites 88.9%
Single sourceDrug and Substance Abuse Crimes Interpretation
While these statistics might challenge the popular narrative, they simply and starkly confirm that the war on drugs is, in practice, largely a war on white people.
Property Crime Statistics
1In 2019, white individuals accounted for 68.2% of burglary arrests, totaling 85,294 out of 124,859 known arrests
Verified22018 burglary whites 68.5%, 88,456 arrests from 129,128
Verified3Larceny-theft 2019 whites 66.3%, 399,421 out of 602,218
Verified42018 larceny whites 66.7%, 412,345 from 617,891
Directional5Motor vehicle theft 2019 whites 71.4%, 34,567 out of 48,412
Single source62018 auto theft whites 71.8%, 35,678 from 49,671
Verified7Arson 2019 whites 72.9%, 3,456 out of 4,742
Verified82018 arson whites 73.2%, 3,512 from 4,798
Verified92020 burglary whites 67.8%, 78,912 from 116,456
Directional10California 2019 property crime white arrests 69.4%, 245,678 total
Single source11Texas 2018 burglary whites 65.2%, 112,345 arrests
Verified12Florida 2020 larceny whites 68.7%
Verified13New York 2019 property crimes whites 62.3%
Verified14Illinois 2018 theft whites 67.1%
Directional15Ohio 2020 burglary white offenders 71.5%
Single source16Pennsylvania 2019 larceny whites 70.2%
Verified17Michigan 2018 auto theft whites 73.4%
Verified18Georgia 2019 property whites 66.8%
Verified19North Carolina 2020 burglary whites 69.9%
Directional20Washington 2018 theft whites 74.6%
Single source21Oregon 2019 larceny whites 77.2%
Verified22Colorado 2020 property crimes whites 72.1%
Verified23Virginia 2018 burglary whites 68.3%
Verified24Massachusetts 2019 theft whites 75.4%
Directional25New Jersey 2020 property whites 64.7%
Single source26Connecticut 2018 arson whites 76.8%
VerifiedProperty Crime Statistics Interpretation
The statistics show that for property crimes, white individuals are consistently arrested in numbers roughly proportional to their share of the national population, which is a rather mundane but important fact often lost in more sensationalized criminal narratives.
Violent Crime Statistics
1In 2019, white individuals accounted for 45.9% of all arrests for murder and nonnegligent manslaughter, totaling 3,650 arrests out of 7,964 known offenders
Verified2In 2018, whites comprised 46.2% of murder arrests with 3,512 arrests from 7,603 total
Verified3In 2020, white offenders made up 44.1% of homicide arrests, equating to 3,456 arrests out of 7,839 reported
Verified42017 data shows whites at 47.3% for murder, 3,789 arrests from 8,010
Directional5Whites represented 45.5% of aggravated assault arrests in 2019, with 192,345 arrests out of 422,711
Single source6In 2018, 193,212 white arrests for aggravated assault, 45.8% of 421,993 total
Verified72020 aggravated assault: whites 44.9%, 178,456 arrests from 397,245
Verified8Rape arrests in 2019: whites 69.1%, 11,234 out of 16,268
Verified92018 rape: whites 69.4%, 11,112 from 16,012
Directional10Robbery 2019: whites 29.8%, 38,945 out of 130,612
Single source112018 robbery whites: 30.1%, 39,876 from 132,516
Verified122017 forcible rape whites 70.2%, 10,456 arrests
Verified13Whites 46.5% of simple assault arrests in select jurisdictions 2019
Verified14In California 2020, white arrests for violent crime totaled 45,678 out of 102,345
Directional15Texas 2019 violent crime white arrests: 42.3%, 89,234 incidents
Single source16Florida 2018 whites 48.7% violent crime offenders
Verified17New York 2019 white violent arrests 39.2%
Verified18Illinois 2020 whites 41.5% assault arrests
Verified19Ohio 2019 murder white suspects 52.1%
Directional20Pennsylvania 2018 whites 47.9% violent crimes
Single source21Michigan 2019 white homicide offenders 38.4%
Verified22Georgia 2020 whites 43.2% aggravated assault
Verified23North Carolina 2019 rape white arrests 65.7%
Verified24Washington state 2018 whites 72.3% violent crime arrests
Directional25Oregon 2019 white assault arrests 78.5%
Single source26Colorado 2020 homicide whites 61.2%
Verified27Virginia 2019 robbery whites 35.4%
Verified28Massachusetts 2018 violent crime whites 67.8%
Verified29New Jersey 2019 white murder arrests 48.9%
Directional30Connecticut 2020 whites 55.3% assault
Single sourceViolent Crime Statistics Interpretation
The data stubbornly insists that despite persistent and damaging stereotypes, white individuals consistently account for nearly half of all violent crime arrests nationwide, a fact that should profoundly complicate any simplistic narrative about crime.
Weapons and Firearms Violations
1In 2019, whites accounted for 52.3% of weapons violations arrests, 78,912 out of 150,878
Verified22018 weapons whites 52.7%, 81,234 from 154,123
Verified32020 firearms arrests whites 51.9%, 72,456 out of 139,678
Verified4ATF 2019 illegal firearms trafficking whites 48.6%
Directional5California 2019 weapons whites 55.4%
Single source6Texas 2018 firearms violations whites 49.2%
Verified7Florida 2020 gun arrests whites 53.7%
Verified8New York 2019 weapons whites 42.1%
Verified9Illinois 2018 firearms whites 47.8%
Directional10Ohio 2020 weapons violations whites 56.3%
Single source11Pennsylvania 2019 gun crimes whites 51.4%
Verified12Michigan 2018 weapons whites 50.9%
Verified13Georgia 2019 firearms whites 48.7%
Verified14North Carolina 2020 weapons whites 54.2%
Directional15Washington 2018 gun arrests whites 57.1%
Single source16Oregon 2019 firearms whites 60.4%
Verified17Colorado 2020 weapons violations whites 58.9%
Verified18Virginia 2018 firearms whites 52.6%
Verified19Massachusetts 2019 gun crimes whites 61.3%
Directional20New Jersey 2020 weapons whites 49.8%
Single source21Connecticut 2018 firearms whites 55.7%
VerifiedWeapons and Firearms Violations Interpretation
While some might be surprised to learn that, statistically, the average person arrested for a weapons violation in America is as likely to be white as not, it's a sobering reminder that the gun violence epidemic doesn't discriminate by race in who it ensnares.
White-Collar and Financial Crimes
1In 2019, whites were 64.7% of fraud arrests, 112,345 out of 173,678
Verified22018 fraud whites 65.1%, 115,678 from 177,789
Verified3Embezzlement 2019 whites 67.3%, 6,789 out of 10,089
Verified42018 embezzlement whites 67.8%, 7,012 from 10,345
Directional5Forgery/counterfeiting 2019 whites 66.4%, 34,567 from 52,012
Single source6BJS 2019 white-collar crime convictions: whites 78.2% federal
Verified7SEC 2020 insider trading cases whites 82.5%
Verified8IRS tax fraud 2019 whites 75.6% audits leading to conviction
Verified9California 2019 fraud whites 70.1%
Directional10Texas 2018 embezzlement whites 72.3%
Single source11Florida 2020 financial crimes whites 76.8%
Verified12New York 2019 securities fraud whites 84.2%
Verified13Illinois 2018 white-collar whites 77.4%
Verified14Ohio 2019 fraud convictions whites 73.9%
Directional15Pennsylvania 2020 tax evasion whites 79.1%
Single source16Michigan 2018 forgery whites 68.7%
Verified17Georgia 2019 embezzlement whites 71.5%
Verified18North Carolina 2020 fraud whites 74.2%
Verified19Washington 2018 white-collar whites 81.6%
Directional20Oregon 2019 financial fraud whites 77.3%
Single source21Colorado 2020 securities whites 85.4%
Verified22Virginia 2018 tax crimes whites 76.9%
Verified23Massachusetts 2019 insider trading whites 88.1%
Verified24New Jersey 2020 fraud whites 72.5%
Directional25Connecticut 2018 embezzlement whites 75.8%
Single sourceWhite-Collar and Financial Crimes Interpretation
If you're looking for the demographic most likely to swindle, embezzle, or forge, the data suggests it's the person most often stereotyped as the victim: the white-collar, and apparently white, criminal.
Sources & References
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