Over 80% of the most serious crimes recorded and reported by the FBI fall under the broad category of crimes against property, which includes theft-related offenses. This makes crimes against property the most often reported major crime in the United States.
The 2021 Uniform Crime Report, prepared by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety to meet state and federal reporting obligations, is a summary of crime data provided by local law enforcement agencies.
Data from the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) is categorized into two groups: Group A and Group B. Group A Crimes comprise the following criminal offenses:
- Crimes against Persons
- Crimes against Property, and
- Crimes against Society
Crimes against Property in Minnesota will be covered in this article.
Overview of Crimes Against Property in Minnesota
In Minnesota, crimes against property accounted for 42.7% of all reported offenses in 2021. In 2021, 118,618 different crimes against property were reported. Statistics for 2021 show a drop in property crime for the state of 1.4 percent from the 120,291 crimes documented in 2020. In the state, there were 2,078 property crimes per 100,000 people in 2021 compared to 2,126 in 2020.
Minnesota’s property crime rates have stayed stable over the past few years after decades of practically continuous decline.
Burglary, larceny/theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson are examples of property crime.
Burglary
Burglary is the illegal entry into a building or other structure with the intent to commit a crime or steal something. A structure has a roof, four walls, and a door by definition. Any house trailer or other movable unit that is permanently fixed as an office, home, or warehouse is also considered a structure. Structures do not include motorhomes, house trailers, tents, tent trailers, or any other mobile recreational vehicle.
In Minnesota, burglaries made up roughly 14% of all recorded property offenses. In 2021, 14,429 burglaries were reported compared to 16,789 in 2020, a 14% reduction.
Burglary Information Summary
With 17,643 victims, 14,429 burglaries were recorded in 2021. 1,907 burglaries were solved through arrests or other special measures, 154 of which involved the arrest of solely minors. The crime rate in 2021 was 252.8 per 100,000 persons.
Larceny/Theft
The most common reported property crime in Minnesota by far is larceny. Larceny is known as the illegal taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of goods from another person’s ownership or constructive possession.
Two such instances of larceny are shoplifting and pickpocketing. These are reported more frequently than all other serious crimes put together.
Larceny made for roughly 74% of all serious nonviolent offenses in Minnesota in 2020. There were 88,644 reported larcenies in 2021 compared to 89,130 in 2020, a .55 percent decline.
Larceny/Theft Information Summary
There were 93,046 victims and 88,644 reported thefts in 2021. 13,119 thefts were stopped by arrest or other special measures, 749 of which involved just a juvenile being arrested. The theft crime rate for 2021 was 1553.1 thefts per 100,000 people.
Motor Vehicle Theft
Theft or attempted theft of a vehicle, such as a car, motorcycle, or ATV, constitutes the crime of vehicle theft.
Auto theft typically happens while the owner of the car is away and the car is unattended. When the vehicle is taken forcibly (robbery) while the owner or passengers are entering or inside the vehicle, this is referred to as carjacking.
There were 13,662 reported vehicle thefts in 2020 and 14,829 in 2021, an 8.54 percent increase.
Motor Vehicle Theft Information Summary
With 14,829 vehicles stolen in 2021 compared to 13,662 in 2020, vehicle theft increased by 8.5%. The total for 2021 is the highest since 2001. What’s more, in 2021 when the first year this data was gathered, there were 779 carjacking instances. Motor vehicle thefts do not include carjacking events.
14,829 auto thefts were reported in 2021. 1,212 people were apprehended, 190 of whom were minors. Theft of motor vehicles had a crime rate of 259.8 per 100,000.
Arson
Arson involves willfully and intentionally setting fire to or attempting to set fire to any real or personal property belonging to another person or entity.
There were 716 reported arsons in 2021 compared to 710 in 2020, an increase of.85%.
Arson Information Summary
There were 716 documented arsons in 2021; 696 were carried out while 20 were attempted. 155 people were apprehended, and 16 of the arrests involved just minors. Arson crimes had a 12.5 per 100,000 population crime rate in 2021.
Contact an Experienced Property Crime Attorney in Minnesota
Are you accused of committing a property crime? The best approach you can take to charges of property damage is to retain legal counsel. Attorney Jeff Dean has successfully defended hundreds of criminal cases over the course of his 26-year career as a criminal defense attorney.
To arrange a consultation, dial (612) 305-4360 right away.
