As winter's chill fades and temperatures rise, research shows some crimes tend to occur much more frequently.
A Bureau of Justice Statistics report on seasonal crime patterns (2014) found a number of patterns affecting everything from household larceny and burglary to sexual assault.
The good news: Spring is safer than other times of the year.
The report, based on information collected from over 17-year period, says that--in general--summer is prime time for many crimes. Read the full report here .
List of seasonal crimes
- Car theft
- Household break-ins
"For violent victimizations, seasonal patterns also vary depending on the type of crime," the report says. "Rape and sexual assault rates and aggravated assault rates are higher in the summer than in most other seasons. In comparison, simple assault rates are higher in the fall than in other seasons, and robbery victimization rates show no seasonal patterns."
5 things to know about seasonal crime
- Rates of these household larceny and burglary victimization tended to be higher in the summer than during other seasons of the year.
- Rates of motor vehicle theft tended to be lower in the spring than in the summer.
- Aggravated assault rates were higher during the summer than during the winter, spring, and fall, while simple assault rates were higher during the fall than during other seasons of the year.
- Rape and sexual assault victimization rates tended to be higher during the summer than during the fall and winter.
- Rates of intimate partner violence were higher during the summer than during the winter, spring, and fall.