More than 50% of violent crimes in Minnesota remain unsolved – ABC 6 News

(ABC 6 News) – While violent crime is declining in the U.S., more than half of all violent crimes reported to authorities in Minnesota went unsolved in 2022, according to FBI data. These crimes include murder, aggravated assault, robbery and rape.

This is part of a growing national trend, as in 38 states, more than 50 percent of violent crimes reported to law enforcement went unsolved. And in six states, more than two-thirds of all violent crimes went unsolved.

In 2022, 281 violent crime cases per 100,000 residents were reported to police in Minnesota, 21 percent higher than the violent crime rate in 2012.

But in southeastern Minnesota, the numbers are below the national and even statewide averages. The Rochester Police Department's unsolved violent crime rate is 39 percent, the Austin Police Department's average is about 40 percent, and the Fillmore County Sheriff's Office's average is 38 percent.

An estimated 63 percent of all reported violent crimes nationwide remained unsolved, representing an increase of 5 percent since 2012 and a historic high.

This increase was observed in all categories of violent crime, with the unsolved rate for murder increasing by 4 percentage points, for aggravated assault by 10 points, for rape by 11 points, and for robbery by 2 points.

There are also significant racial disparities in the number of unsolved violent crimes. The national murder rate for black victims is consistently higher than for white victims. In 2021, blacks were almost eight times more likely to die by murder than whites. However, murders of black victims were twice as likely to go unsolved as white victims in 2021.