The state’s two largest cities often receive the most attention when it comes to violent crime in Oklahoma.
For instance, in 2012 Oklahoma City grabbed headlines after a 46 percent spike in homicides. And through the first half of 2013, Tulsa police also reported a similar increase in homicides in their city.
Less noticed is that some smaller and medium-sized cities in Oklahoma rank right up there with Tulsa, and outpace Oklahoma City, in terms of violent crime rates, according to FBI numbers.
Leading the way was Ardmore, population about 24,500, whose 405 violent crimes in 2011 gave the city a violent crime rate of 1,650 per 100,000 residents. Tulsa ranked second, and Oklahoma City fifth, in violent crime that year. But six out of the top 10 included cities such as Ardmore, with populations under 25,000.
Several smaller and medium-sized cities also led the state in increases in violent crime rates. Durant, Moore and Ardmore experienced double-digit average annual violent crime rate increases between 2007 and 2011.
Violent crime in the United States declined every year from 1992 to 2011, except in 2005 and 2006. The rate in 2011 was nearly 50 percent lower than it was in 1992.
Between 2007 and 2011, the violent crime rate in the country dropped by an average of about 5 percent annually, but dropped by just 1.5 percent in Oklahoma.
Here’s a look at the violent crime rates and rankings for Oklahoma cities:
2011 Violent Crime Map: Where Does Your City Rank?
Footnotes:
*Rates are per 100,000 residents and reflect numbers reported in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. Crimes include murder, rape, aggravated assault and robbery. Only cities with 100 or more reported violent crimes in 2011 (2012 are not yet available) are included in this graphic.
* Because of data reporting problems, Muskogee was not included, and Chickasaw, Bartlesville and Shawnee did not report data for all five years.