Critical Releases in Homeland Security: June 12, 2013

"Preliminary figures indicate that, as a whole, law enforcement agencies throughout the nation reported an increase of 1.2 percent in the number of violent crimes brought to their attention for 2012 when compared with figures reported for 2011. The violent crime category includes murder, forcible rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. Collectively, the number of property crimes in the United States in 2012 decreased 0.8 percent when compared with data from 2011. Property crimes include burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft. Arson is also a property crime, but data for arson are not included in property crime totals. Figures for 2012 indicate that arson decreased 1.2 percent when compared with 2011 figures. The data presented in Tables 1 and 2 indicate the percent change in offenses known to law enforcement for 2012 compared with those for 2011 by population group and region, respectively. Table 3 reflects the percent change in offenses reported within the nation for consecutive years (each year compared with the prior year). Table 4 presents the number of offenses known to law enforcement for agencies with a resident population of 100,000 and over and that provided 12 months of complete data for 2012. All data in this Report are preliminary."

"This report marks the second iteration of the 'National Preparedness Report' (NPR). Required annually by 'Presidential Policy Directive 8: National Preparedness', the NPR summarizes national progress in building, sustaining, and delivering the 31 core capabilities outlined in the National Preparedness Goal ('the Goal'). The NPR presents an opportunity to reflect on the progress that whole community partners-including all levels of government, private and nonprofit sectors, faith-based organizations, communities, and individuals-have made in strengthening national preparedness and to identify where preparedness gaps remain. While the inaugural 2012 NPR highlighted preparedness accomplishments in the decade since the September 11, 2001 attacks, the 2013 NPR focuses primarily on accomplishments either achieved or reported on during 2012. Each year the Nation faces a diverse set of threats and hazards that challenge collective security and resilience and confirm the need to enhance preparedness. 2012 was no exception, with a variety of events that required capabilities across the five mission areas outlined in the Goal-Prevention, Protection, Mitigation, Response, and Recovery. Key events during 2012 included disruptions of potential terrorist attacks; responses to wildfires, hurricanes, and mass shootings; and ongoing management of several long-term recovery efforts."