Last year, a meme went viral that suggested people type “Florida Man” into their browser along with their birth date to see what crazy story popped up. There were gems like “Florida Man Threatens to Kill Man With ‘Kindness,’ Uses Machete Named ‘Kindness’”, “Florida Man Who Allegedly Threatened Family with Coldplay Lyrics Ends Standoff After SWAT Promises Him Pizza”, and though not a crime, “Florida Man Rescues Grandma Floating Away on Ice Throne”.
As bail bond agents, we’ve seen it all. Most arrests, however, are not a laughing matter and many people just want to get out of jail and get their lives back on track.
Most Common Crimes
Theft and Larceny
This property crime is by far the most common. According to the FBI, there were 5,519, 107 in 2017.
Burglary
Burglary is the unlawful or forcible entry of places and is charged if the offender stole something, attempted to steal something or didn’t attempt to steal anything. In 2017, there were 1,401,840 burglaries.
Motor Vehicle Theft
2018 saw 748,841 motor vehicle thefts nationwide. That’s 228.9 per 100,000 people.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assault is when someone attacks a person with the intent to do them harm. A weapon can be involved but doesn’t have to be to get an aggravated assault charge.
Robbery
The difference between robbery and theft is that robbery is inflicted directly upon a person, like a mugging. It is considered a violent crime.
Contributing Factors
Drug Violations
Often these offenses go hand-in-hand with drug offenses. In 2018, there were 1,654,282 drug law violations, up more than 165,000 from 2015.
Alcohol
Alcohol is another factor in many of the most common crimes in the U.S. It is estimated that alcohol plays a part in 40% of all violent crimes, and is often present in incidents of child abuse and spousal abuse.
One of the most common alcohol or drug-related arrests is Driving Under the Influence. More than 10,000 people die each year in alcohol-related motor vehicle accidents.
If you’re driving under the influence of drugs or alcohol and you’re one of the lucky ones, you’ll just be one of the 1,001,329 people arrested for the crime.
Good News
The good news is the number of violent crimes has decreased dramatically over the last 25+ years, dropping a whopping 51% between 1993 and 2018 and property crimes fell by 69% during that time. Of course, some areas may have seen increases or fluctuations in crime rates over the years, overall, crime in the U.S. has been going down.
If you’ve been arrested, Mercy Bail Bonds is here to help. Call us at (727) 856-7775 and talk with one of our dedicated staff who can get the ball rolling on your release from jail. We’re open 24/7 and we always answer.