The 4 Most Common Crimes
Over ten million people are arrested in the United States every year. But, some crimes are more common than others.
Read on to learn about the most common crimes.
1. Theft
Theft is the most common crime in the United States. This is specific to burglary and larceny. Crimes included under this category include pickpocketing, shoplifting, bicycle theft, breaking and entering, motor vehicle theft, and more.
Because there are so many different types of theft, it can be hard to differentiate between them.
2. Drug Crimes
Different types of drug crimes are extremely commonplace in the United States. Someone is arrested for possession of drugs in America approximately every twenty-five seconds, a rate that has risen exponentially since the 1980s. Additionally, one-fifth of the people currently in jail or prison are there for some sort of drug crime.
Different states have different drug laws — for example, some states have completely legalized the use of cannabis, while in other states the use of cannabis is completely illegal. That’s why it’s important to know the specifics of the drug laws in your state.
Some drug crimes that may be illegal in your state include:
- Possession of cannabis
- Possession of drug paraphernalia
- Conspiracy to traffic drugs
- Possession of a controlled substance
- Sale or delivery of a controlled substance
Drug crimes are often in flux. In fact, many people are still serving sentences for crimes that are no longer illegal. That’s why it’s important to be vigilant, so you know what’s legal and what is not.
3. Alcohol-Related Crimes
Alcohol-related crimes are a bigger problem in the United States than you might think. 29% of all traffic-related deaths in the United States are in crashes with alcohol involved.
Alcohol-related crimes include, but are not limited to driving under the influence, driving while intoxicated, disorderly conduct, and public intoxication.
While education has been increased to reduce crimes like DWI in the United States, the problem still persists.
4. Assault
Unfortunately, different forms of assault are a common crime in the United States. As of 2018, there were just over 368 violent crimes per 100,00 people in the United States each and every year. In the U.S., depending on the type of assault, the crime can be prosecuted as either a misdemeanor or a felony.
In North Carolina, assault can be classified as any of the following:
- Simple assault
- Assault and battery
- Aggravated assault
- Aggravated battery
- Affray
- Assault causing serious injury
- Assault with a deadly weapon
- Assault with intent to kill
- Domestic violence
- Sexual battery
These crimes can also become more serious based on the people involved. Such as, assaults committed against children under twelve, women (depending on who the accused is), school employees or volunteers, sports officials during a game, public transportation workers, people who are pregnant, first responders, or people who are otherwise employed by the state.
Now You Know the Most Common Crimes
Clearly, some common crimes are more dangerous than others. It’s still a good idea to avoid any of them, though!
Have you committed one of these crimes? Do you need bail bond services? Contact us today.
