Nation IN BRIEF : NATIONWIDE : Violent Crime Up by 5%, FBI Reports

Violent crimes in the United States went up by 5% in the first half of the year, the FBI said, as a surge fueled by more murders and drug-related incidents involving assault weapons continued. The federal law enforcement agency reported that the increase in violent crime was led by a 9% jump in robberies, followed by a 5% gain in murders and a 4% rise in rapes. Among the violent crimes, the smallest increase was posted for aggravated assaults, which were 2% higher than last year’s levels. Since 1987, the violent crime rate has been going up by 5% each year, except for 1990 when it soared by 10%, the FBI said.