[JURIST] Violent crime - consisting of violent murders, robberies and aggravated assaults - increased in 2005 for the first time since 2001, according to the Preliminary Annual Uniform Crime Report [text; press release; additional materials] released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation [official website] Monday. Murders increased by 23 percent in Houston, 14 percent in Philadelphia and 10 percent in Las Vegas, while the Midwest had the largest increase, 5.7 percent, in overall crime last year. The overall increase in violent crime for the country, however, was a modest 2.5 percent. The 2005 data show the first major increase in violent crime since it peaked in 1992 and fell steadily until 2000.

The FBI reported last fall that the 2004 numbers on violent crime hit a 30 year low [press release; JURIST report], but the number of violent rapes increased in 2004 [JURIST report]. The FBI will release its final annual crime report in the fall. AP has more.