On Monday, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation released its 2020 ‘Crime in Tennessee’ publication, which details the volume and nature of crime, as reported by the state’s law enforcement agencies.

The report compiles data submitted to TBI through the Tennessee Incident-Based Reporting System (TIBRS). Among the report’s findings:

- A total of 506,558 Group A (typically the most serious) offenses were reported in 2020, decreasing 5.0% from 2019.

- 136,407 Group A arrests were made in 2020, of which 6.8% were juveniles.

- The crime rate per 100,000 for Group A offenses was 7,355.5.

- There was a total of 18,167 DUI arrests in 2020, a decrease of 7.1% from 2019.

The state’s 2020 crime data was undeniably impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, as workplaces, schools, and other community venues were closed. The data analysis and the numerous graphs and charts in this year’s publication illustrate the sharp decline in reported crime.

“The TIBRS program continues to serve as a model for the nation and remains successful because of the continued cooperation by Tennessee’s law enforcement community,” said TBI Director David Rausch. “TBI remains committed to this effort and will continue to provide the training and technical assistance necessary to collect the most accurate and comprehensive crime statistics for Tennessee and its citizens.” 

The full report is now available on TBI’s website, tn.gov/tbi.