Office of Justice Programs Weekly News Brief

WASHINGTON, Sept. 23, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is being released by the Office of Justice Programs:

BJS Releases Arrest in the United States, 1980 – 2009 Report – According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the U.S. murder arrest rate dropped more than 50 percent over a 30-year period, from 8.8 arrests per 100,000 U.S. residents in 1980 to 4.0 per 100,000 in 2009.  The report also found that arrest rates decreased significantly over the 30-year period for forcible rape (-50 percent), robbery (-36 percent), burglary (-57 percent), larceny-theft (-17 percent), motor vehicle theft (-56 percent), and weapon law violations (-26 percent).  Over the same period arrest rates increased for aggravated assault (+12 percent), simple assault (+100 percent) and drug abuse violations (+112 percent).  http://www.bjs.gov.

Upcoming Events:

October Is National Cyber Security Awareness Month – OJP's Office for Victims of Crime, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), is recognizing National Cyber Security Awareness Month in October with weekly cybersecurity themes. The themes will be Stop. Think. Connect, October 3-7; Formal Education and Workforce Development, October 10 -14; Cybercrime and Law Enforcement, October 17-21; and Online Security for Small and Medium Sized Businesses, October 24 -28. For more information, contact Kristina Dorville, DHS's National Cyber Security Division, at 703-235-3666.

SOURCE The Office of Justice Programs