Crime & Safety in Bessemer, AL
Violent and property crime rates, clearance data, and trends — 2024 Data
Crime Overview
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)Violent Crime Rate
17.44
per 1,000 residents
+289% vs national
Property Crime Rate
71.24
per 1,000 residents
+228% vs national
Total Crimes
2,192
2024
Violent Clearance
20%
cases solved
-52% vs national
Property Clearance
14%
cases solved
vs Similar Cities
+567%
vs 10K-25K avg
+567% vs 10K-25K
YoY Change
-26.4%
violent crime rate
improving vs 2023
How Bessemer Compares
Source: FBI (2024)Bessemer vs Similar Cities
Source: FBI (2024)Compared to cities with 10,000 - 25,000 residents. Bessemer is highlighted in green.
Violent Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Property Crime Rate (per 1,000)
Murder Rate (per 1,000)
Violent Crime Clearance Rate
Crime Rate Trends
Source: FBICrime Composition
Source: FBI (2024)Violent Crime Breakdown
Property Crime Breakdown
Crime Clearance (Solve) Rates
Source: FBI (2024)Bessemer police solve 55% of murder cases but only 5% of motor vehicle theft cases. The national violent crime clearance rate is 42%.
Weapon Used in Violent Crime
Source: FBI (2024)Crime Breakdown
Source: FBI Crime Data Explorer (2024)| Crime Type | Category | Count | Rate per 1K | Clearance % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Murder | Violent | 11 | 0.44 | 54.5% |
| Rape | Violent | 15 | 0.61 | 13.3% |
| Robbery | Violent | 40 | 1.62 | 20.0% |
| Aggravated Assault | Violent | 365 | 14.77 | 19.7% |
| Burglary | Property | 284 | 11.49 | 7.4% |
| Larceny/Theft | Property | 1,252 | 50.65 | 16.6% |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | Property | 225 | 9.10 | 4.9% |
Bessemer, AL reported 431 violent crimes and 1,761 property crimes in 2024. The violent crime rate of 17.44 per 1,000 residents is 289.1% above the national average of 4.48 per 1,000. Law enforcement cleared 20% of violent crimes. Larceny/theft accounts for 1,252 of the property crime reports. Firearms were involved in 62.7% of aggravated assaults. Compared to similarly sized cities (10,000 - 25,000 population), Bessemer's violent crime rate is 567% higher. Violent crime has been trending downward.
Crime History
Source: FBI| Year | Violent | Property | Violent Rate | Property Rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 431 | 1,761 | 17.44 | 71.24 |
| 2023 | 590 | 1,976 | 23.68 | 79.31 |
| 2022 | 466 | 1,902 | 18.44 | 75.28 |
| 2021 | 109 | 340 | 4.21 | 13.12 |
| 2020 | 447 | 1,138 | 16.97 | 43.19 |
| 2017 | 788 | 2,581 | 29.89 | 97.91 |
| 2016 | 763 | 2,403 | 28.69 | 90.37 |
| 2015 | 475 | 2,641 | 17.71 | 98.44 |