Study Reveals Dramatic Drop in U.S. Hospital Violent Crime Rate
A study by IAHSS on hospital crime shows that overall, the rate of violent crime dropped dramatically from 2.8 incidents per 100 hospital beds in 2014 to .09 incidents per 100 beds last year, or a 68-percent decrease.
The 2016 Healthcare Crime Survey showed that the assault rate increased slightly in 2015 compared to the previous year, from 7.8 assaults per 100 beds to 8.1 assaults per 100 beds. That being said, the rate last year was less than in 2013, which recorded 11.1 assaults per 100 beds.
Most of the aggravated assaults and assaults were type 2: Violence directed at employees by customers, clients, patients, students, inmates or any others to whom the employer provides a service.
Disorderly conduct was up about 14 percent in 2015 (21.4 compared to 18.8 in 2014) but still much less than in 2013 when the rate was 39.2 incidents per 100 beds.
Burglary and theft rates also decreased last year (by 20 percent for burglary and about 19 percent for theft), while the rate of motor vehicle thefts remained the same at .3 incidents per 100 beds. The rate of vandalism decreased by 16 percent in 2015 compared to 2014.
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