Crime by type
Indianapolis Crime by Type
A breakdown of the offense categories that shape day-to-day risk in Indianapolis.
Overview
What drives crime in Indianapolis
Not every offense behaves the same way across Indianapolis. Property crimes touch nearly every ZIP code, while the most serious violence stays clustered in specific pockets. The categories below show where each type tends to land.
By category
Rates and odds by crime type
Estimated annual rate per 100,000 residents and your everyday odds, with risk level relative to the U.S. average.
| Offense | Per 100k/yr | Annual odds | vs. U.S. | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theft / Larceny | 1,668 | 1 in 60 | +19% | Average |
| Motor Vehicle Theft | 397 | 1 in 252 | +25% | Moderate |
| Burglary | 306 | 1 in 327 | +13% | Average |
| Aggravated Assault | 298 | 1 in 335 | +11% | Average |
| Robbery | 90 | 1 in 1,106 | +22% | Moderate |
| Rape | 38 | 1 in 2,623 | +13% | Average |
| Homicide | 6 | 1 in 16,964 | +18% | Average |
Drill down
What's actually reported in Indianapolis
The most common specific offenses behind each category, from reported incident descriptions.
Theft 22,436 reports
Assault 15,908 reports
Other 14,649 reports
DUI/Traffic 8,201 reports
Vandalism 6,273 reports
Retail Theft 3,765 reports
Detail
Crime types in Indianapolis, explained
Motor Vehicle Theft
Auto theft is one of Indianapolis's most persistent problems, with Kias and Hyundais frequently targeted and recoveries common across the east and near-south sides.
Theft / Larceny
Theft and shoplifting are the highest-volume offenses citywide, heaviest around retail corridors, downtown parking, and Broad Ripple's nightlife strip.
Burglary
Residential and business break-ins appear across the older neighborhood rings, with the Near Eastside and parts of the far east side seeing more activity than the northern suburbs.
Aggravated Assault
Aggravated assaults concentrate along a few corridors on the near-east and northwest sides, leaving large residential swaths comparatively untouched.
Robbery
Robberies tend to follow commercial and transit activity, clustering near downtown, gas stations, and busy arterial intersections after dark.
Homicide
Homicides remain rare relative to overall crime and are tightly geographically concentrated, with most occurring in a small number of high-incident neighborhoods.