TBI: Most crime down in Tennessee for 2023

By KATE COIL

TML Communications Specialist

The amount of most violent and non-violent crimes in Tennessee decreased in 2022, according to new statistics gathered from the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). 

The 2022 Crime in Tennessee Report is compiled by the TBI Statistical Analysis Center based on statistics submitted from law enforcement agencies across the state. 

A total of 502,198 offenses were reported statewide with 35.84% of those offenses cleared. Of those offenses, 7,121 were violent crimes. A total of 256,875 arrests were made in the state with 13,700 of those arrests being juvenile offenders. 

Incidents of violent crime decreased in most categories in 2022 with only crimes against property seeing a 3.3% increase. Murders were down 14.55%, weapon law violations 0.98%, rape down 10.61%, kidnapping or abduction down 11.98%, crimes against persons down 3.19%, and crimes against society down 8.67%.  

Overall, the state reported 611 murders in 2022, 280 of which were cleared. There were also 39 cases of negligent manslaughter, 16 of which were cleared. The state reported 15,949 weapons law violations, 2,156 incidents of forcible rape, 1,954 incidents of kidnapping or abduction, and 36,692 incidents of aggravated assault. Simple assault was the most commonly reported violent crime with 72,801 incidents.  

For property crimes, the report found burglary incidents have dropped 18.21% while the state has seen a more than 25% increase in identity theft, nearly 27% increase in motor vehicle theft, and 77.5% increase in extortion or blackmail. Destruction, damage, or vandalism was the most commonly reported crime against property with 46,478 incidents.  

For crimes against society, DUI arrests, arrests associated with meth labs, meth importing offenses, arson, and juvenile rests have all trended downward over the last year while animal cruelty, juvenile victims of crime, and non-violent offenses have increased in the same time frame. 

Drug and narcotics violations were the most commonly committed crime against society at 50,944 followed by drug and narcotic equipment violations at 30,763 and weapons violations at 15,949.  

July was the month with the most reported offenses at 44,490 while November saw the least at 38,964. Most offenses occurred between 3-6 p.m. (84,988) while 3-6 a.m. was the least common time for crimes to be reported. Residences were the most common location for crimes to be reported at 41.13% followed by roadways at 15.21%, schools at 2.23%, and hospitals at 0.63%.  

Women were more likely to be victims of crime than men with 183,167 female victims to 161,452 male victims. Those aged 25-34 were most likely to be crime victims while the under 18 age range was the least likely and those over 65 the second least likely.  

Among domestic violence victims, nearly three-fourths were female with those age 25-34 most likely to be victims of domestic violence. Those aged 65 and over were the age group with the lowest number of domestic violence victims. More than 65% of all domestic violence offenses reported in 2022 were simple assaults though 96 murders and 585 rapes in the state were connected to domestic violence incidents.  

For more information on how the report was created and agency specific data, click here to learn more.