http://abcnews.go.com/US/story?id=2735489&page=1
JASON RYAN
"FBI data for the first six months of 2006 show that violent crime in the United States has increased 3.7 percent. The most significant jump was in robberies, which rose to 9.7 percent. There was a 1.4 percent increase in the murder rate and a 1.2 percent increase in the rate of aggravated assault. FBI figures for 2005 showed that violent crime had increased 2.5 percent overall, one of the largest percentage increases in 15 years. Criminologists and law enforcement officials said the crime wave has been triggered by a rise in gang activity, violent offenders who returned from prison and kids who have easy access to guns." [3 pages]
