Violent crime across the nation is up. For the first time since 2001, there are more murders, rapes and assaults, according to the FBI.
But violent crime didn't just rise last year. According to the numbers, it jumped 2.5 percent. That's the biggest increase since 1991, when the country was battling gangs and the crack epidemic.
According to the report, cities with less than a quarter-million people had the largest increases -- homicides alone were up 12 percent last year.
Criminologist speculate that there are several reasons for the rise in violent crime: cutbacks in federal law enforcement grants, a focus on terrorism, a nationwide resurgence in gang activity and signs of increasing youth violence as children born in the 1990s become teenagers.
Justice Department officials say crime-fighting has been a priority of the Bush administration for the past six years and point to millions of dollars the Justice Department has spent on anti-gang initiatives and community programs such as Project Safe Neighborhoods.
The report wasn't all bad. Some of the nation's largest cities, including Los Angeles and New York, continue to show a drop in violent crime. The complete report will be released this fall.
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