The Nation : Auto Thefts, Burglaries Up 9% in 1988

Car thefts and burglaries jumped at least 9% in 1988 as personal and household crime went up 1.8% for the second straight year, the Justice Department reported. The increase in the overall number of offenses during the last two years reversed a five-year decline in crimes reported by victims to the National Crime Survey, the department said. Preliminary results for 1988 showed a 1.2% increase in personal crimes, including rape, robbery, assault and theft. Household crimes went up 2.6% from 1987, the study said. In this category, there was a 6.3% increase in burglary, including a 9% jump in completed break-ins. The growth in crime last year may have resulted in part from an increase in the nation’s population, the department said.