Clearance Rate

In Detail

The clearance rate measures the proportion of crimes that law enforcement considers resolved, either through arrest or through "exceptional means" (when the offender is identified but cannot be arrested due to death, prosecution in another jurisdiction, refusal of the victim to cooperate, etc.). It is a key indicator of law enforcement effectiveness, though it has significant limitations. Nationally, the murder clearance rate has declined from roughly 90% in the 1960s to about 50% in recent years, meaning roughly half of murders in America go unsolved. Clearance rates vary dramatically by crime type: murder and aggravated assault tend to have the highest clearance rates (40-60%), while property crimes like burglary and larceny-theft have very low clearance rates (often under 15%). Motor vehicle theft has a relatively higher clearance rate among property crimes because recovered vehicles can sometimes be traced back to offenders. Clearance rates also vary significantly by jurisdiction, influenced by department resources, caseload volume, investigative techniques, community cooperation, and local policies. A low clearance rate does not necessarily mean a police department is ineffective — it may simply reflect high crime volume relative to detective staffing. CrimeContext does not currently display clearance rates, as the FBI's clearance data is less consistently reported than crime rate data, but understanding clearance rates provides important context about how crime affects communities beyond the raw numbers.