Crime on the Move: Pennsylvania in 1987

In 1987, Pennsylvania saw a stark rise in reported crimes, with the state ranking among the nation’s top ten in terms of violent crime rates, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) program. The UCR program, established in 1930, has long been the gold standard for crime data collection and analysis in the United States. As the nation grappled with rising crime rates throughout the 1980s, Pennsylvania’s numbers painted a grim picture.

Nationally, the 1980s were marked by a surge in violent crime, with the FBI reporting a 15% increase in violent crimes between 1980 and 1986. The crack cocaine epidemic, which began to take hold in the mid-1980s, contributed significantly to this uptick, as violent crime often accompanies the sale and distribution of illicit substances. In Pennsylvania, the state’s northern and eastern regions were particularly hard hit by the crack epidemic, leading to increased violence and property crime in cities like Philadelphia and Pittsburgh.

The FBI UCR program reported that in 1987, Pennsylvania saw a 10% increase in reported violent crimes, including murder, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. While the state’s population was growing at a steady rate, the increase in violent crime rates outpaced this growth, suggesting a worsening trend. Property crimes, such as burglary and larceny, also saw significant increases in 1987, further contributing to the state’s overall crime problem.

Philadelphia, the state’s largest city, was a hotbed of crime activity in 1987, with the city reporting a 20% increase in violent crimes. The city’s struggling neighborhoods, marked by poverty, unemployment, and social decay, created a fertile ground for organized crime and gang activity to flourish. As the 1980s wore on, Philadelphia would become a model for the nation’s worst urban crime crises, with the city’s crime rates rivaling those of major cities in the Deep South.

Despite the grim statistics, law enforcement agencies across Pennsylvania worked tirelessly to address the state’s crime problem. The Pennsylvania State Police, the state’s largest law enforcement agency, implemented innovative community policing initiatives and increased its presence in high-crime areas. While progress was slow, these efforts would eventually contribute to a decline in crime rates in the 1990s, as many states across the nation began to experience a significant reduction in violent crime.