NCJ Number
61010
Date Published
1979
Length
57 pages
Annotation
THIS 1978 ANNUAL REPORT ON INCIDENTS INVOLVING EXPLOSIVES IN THE UNITED STATES WAS PREPARED BY THE TREASURY DEPARTMENT'S BUREAU OF ALCOHOL, TOBACCO, AND FIREARMS (ATF) FOR POLICE.
Abstract
TYPES OF INCIDENTS COVERED INCLUDE CRIMINAL AND NONCRIMINAL ACCIDENTS; SUCCESSFUL AND UNSUCCESSFUL BOMBINGS AND INCENDIARY BOMBINGS; STOLEN, SEIZED, AND RECOVERED EXPLOSIVES; THREATS; AND HOAXES. THE NUMBER OF ALL EXPLOSIVES INCIDENTS INCREASED 2.4 PERCENT FROM 1977 TO 1978, BUT BOMBING INCIDENTS WERE DOWN. DEATHS FROM EXPLOSIVES DROPPED 46 PERCENT, BUT INJURIES INCREASED 89 PERCENT, AND PROPERTY DAMAGE DECREASED FROM $61.3 MILLION IN 1977 TO $27.5 MILLION IN 1978. SUCCESSFUL BOMBINGS COMPOSED 32 PERCENT OF ALL INCIDENTS, WHILE ONLY 2 PERCENT WERE NONCRIMINAL ACCIDENTS. MOST COMMON TARGETS FOR THE 1,797 BOMBING INCIDENTS REPORTED TO ATF WERE COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS, RESIDENCES, VEHICLES, AND SCHOOLS. CALIFORNIA, ILLINOIS, KENTUCKY, AND NEW YORK SUFFERED THE GREATEST NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF ALL TYPES. WHILE THE MOST FREQUENT MOTIVES FOR BOMBINGS OF ALL TYPES WERE VANDALISM, REVENGE, AND LABOR ISSUES, THE LAST CAUSED THE MOST PROPERTY DAMAGE. THEFTS OF EXPLOSIVES INCREASED 10 PERCENT OVER 1977, AND RECOVERIES INCREASED 15 PERCENT; TYPES OF EXPLOSIVES MOST COMMONLY STOLEN WERE DYNAMITE AND BLASTING AGENTS. THE MILITARY, HOWEVER, WAS RARELY A TARGET OF THESE THEFTS. THE REPORT CONCLUDES WITH A SUMMARY OF NOTEWORTHY EXPLOSIVES INCIDENTS IN EACH STATE. GRAPHS, MAPS, AND EXTENSIVE TABULAR DATA ARE PROVIDED.