The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released its 2019 “Crime in Tennessee” publication last week, which details the volume and nature of crime, as reported by the state’s law enforcement agencies. The 2019 report shows an overall decrease in reported crime in the Volunteer State.
The report compiles data submitted to TBI’s Tennessee Incident-Based Reporting System (TIBRS). Among the report’s findings:
•The number of Group A offenses, generally considered the most serious criminal incidents, totaled 529,524 in 2019, a decrease of 5% from 2018.
•Reported incidents of murder, rape, and weapons law violations all decreased in 2019.
•Reported cases of kidnapping increased by 7.2% year-to-year.
•The number of crimes reported as having a domestic violence nexus decreased 4% from 2018 to 2019.
•The number of reported drug violations decreased by 5.6%. However, the number of drug offenses identified as methamphetamine-related increased to 18,086 in 2019, a 32.1% increase in the span of three years.
•The number of both juvenile victims of crime and juvenile arrestees decreased year-to-year.
“The TIBRS program continues to serve as a model for the nation and remains successful because of the continued cooperation by Tennessee’s law enforcement community,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “TBI remains committed to this effort and will continue to provide the training and technical assistance necessary to collect the most accurate and comprehensive crime statistics for Tennessee and its citizens.”
The full report is available for download on TBI’s website, www.tn.gov/tbi.
