BCA: Violent crime in Minnesota increased in 2021

The Minnesota Department of Public Safety Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) has released the 2021 Uniform Crime Report, a summary of crime data submitted by local law enforcement agencies to meet state and federal reporting requirements.

In addition to data measuring criminal activity statewide, the report contains other information required in statute, including the number of law enforcement officers killed or assaulted; firearm discharges by police officers; and police pursuits.

The 2021 report reflects the state’s transition to a more detailed, incident-based reporting system. This is also the first year this data can be accessed in the Minnesota Crime Data Explorer, a tool on the BCA website that can be used by the public and law enforcement leaders to track and respond to crime trends.

“The Department of Public Safety has stepped up investigations and proactive patrols in partnership with our federal, state and local officers,” said Minnesota Commissioner of Public Safety John Harrington. “By following the data, we hope these efforts will reduce victimization, improve focused and effective rapid responses, and hold offenders accountable.”

Notable data from the 2021 Minnesota Uniform Crime Report:

• Minnesota saw a 21.6 percent increase in violent crime in 2021. Violent crime in greater Minnesota rose by 16 percent. Violent crime in the seven-county metro area (Anoka, Carver, Dakota, Hennepin, Ramsey, Scott and Washington counties) rose by 23.9 percent.
• There were 201 murders in 2021 in Minnesota compared with 185 in 2020, an increase of 8.65 percent. Firearms made up 73 percent of the weapons used in 2021 murders, down from 75 percent in 2020.
• There were 10,967 aggravated assaults in 2021, which is 33.7 percent higher than 2020.
• The number of rapes increased in 2021. Almost half of the victims were minors (46 percent) and 71 percent of rapes occurred in a home.
• Motor vehicle theft rose 8.5 percent in 2021 with 14,829 vehicles stolen as compared to 13,662 in 2020. The 2021 total is the highest since 2001. In addition, there were 779 carjacking incidents in 2021, the first year this data was collected. Carjacking incidents are not counted as motor vehicle thefts.
• Bias crimes rose in 2021 with 238 incidents reported. Of these, 40.3 percent were motivated by anti-Black or African American bias, 10.5 percent were anti-gay, 8.8 percent anti-white, and 8.4 percent were anti-Jewish.
• Officer-involved shooting incidents dropped in 2021 to 24, five fewer than in 2020.
• Peace officers were assaulted in 900 incidents in 2021, a 35 percent increase over 2020.

To read the full report, click here.