Reports from the 1973-1993 period were used, and various calculations were made to reflect the extent of crime over the study period. The index crimes included in the study were murder, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny-theft, auto theft, and arson. Data for the United States and for the five peer cities revealed an increase for most index crimes between 1973 and 1993. Index crime rates of the United States were generally lower than index crime rates of the five peer cities. Of the five peer cities, Albuquerque had the least increase in index crime rates. During the study period, index crime rates in the United States decreased by 2 percent for murder and arson and by 122 percent for assault but increased for rape (67 percent), robbery (40 percent), burglary (9 percent), larceny (48 percent), and auto theft (38 percent). 18 references and 8 endnotes