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The list of the top five most dangerous cities in America has been released by the FBI. 

After falling for five consecutive years, the number of violent crimes across the United States rose by 1.2% in 2012. Based on data published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the increase was even greater in some of America’s largest cities. In 2012, for the third year in a row, Flint, Michigan had the highest violent crime rate in the country.

According to the FBI, violent crime includes murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. In some cases, the cities with the highest violent crime rate, including Flint and Oakland, had high rates in all four categories. However, most of the most violent cities tend to do very poorly only in a few categories.

Take a look at the list below.

5. Memphis, Tenn 

Memphis had the third highest rate of assault in 2012 with a number of 1,151.9 out of 100,000 residents. There robbery rate is 20.2 out of 100,000 and murder rate is 514.4 out of 100,000 people.  

In a recent Gallup survey, roughly 43% of Memphis area residents reported feeling unsafe walking at night, the highest percentage of all the 50 largest metropolitan areas in the country and significantly higher than the 28% across the United States.

4. St. Louis, Mo

In 2012, there were reports of 1,120.6 out of 100,000 people are victims of assault. The murder rate is 35.5 cases, which is the highest out of the three cites! But crime rate has improved.

There were 80 less violent crimes per 100,000 people in 2012 compared to 2011 — the best improvement of any city on this list, with the drop mostly attributable to 106 less robberies per 100,000 people in 2012 compared to the previous year. Law enforcement officials attributed some of the drop to an increased police presence in high-crime neighborhoods. 

3. Oakland, Calif

There were 1,085.9 robberies out of 100,000 residents in Oakland in 2012, compared to 851.2 robberies out of 100,000 just a year earlier. The rates of murder and assault also increased in 2012.

Crime in the city has increased ever since the city’s police department went through a round of layoffs in 2010 due to $30.5 million deficit.

2. Detroit, Mich 

There were 368 people murdered in 2012, this was the second highest rate in the country within 40 years. The assault rate was 1,320.8 cases out of 100,000 people, which was also the second highest in the United States.  

Detroit has struggled economically in recent years. The city’s 2012 unemployment rate was a whopping 18.6%, much higher than the 8.1% across the nation last year. The median household income of $25,193 was less than half the national median for 2011.

1. Flint, Mich.

Flint Mich. has the highest crime rate out of the three cities, with 2,729.5 out of 100,000 people. The total number of murders in 2012 clocked in at 63. The rate for burglary and arson are the highest within the three cities. 

The sheriff of Genesee County, where Flint is located, proposed a plan to create a violent crime mobile response unit that would cost $3 million. However, Governor Rick Snyder rejected the plan because he believed resources would be better “integrated into the ongoing efforts to make Flint safer.” 

Source: Yahoo News