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LB Reported Crime Data for 2000 Analyzed

  • 1st district: Highest number of total serious crimes against persons
  • 2nd district: Highest number of total crimes
  • 3d district: Large drop in auto burglaries, but more grand thefts and auto burglaries than 9th district
  • 4th district: Total crimes increase, esp. comm'l burglaries; more grand thefts & auto burglaries than 9th district
  • 5th district: Lowest number of total serious crimes against persons, property and total crimes, but total crimes increase over 1999; serious crimes against property and less serious crimes increase; now more grand thefts & auto burglaries than 9th district
  • 6th district: Highest number of murders; auto burglaries up, comm'l burglaries down
  • 7th district: Crime increases in every reported category except bike theft and auto burglary
  • 8th district: Higher totals of reported serious crimes against persons & property than 7th district, but crime down slightly from 1999 w/ large drop in residential burglaries
  • 9th district: Serious crimes against persons & property down, and overall crime total down slightly, despite 150% jump in arson

    We also post detailed neighborhood crime data on line


    (February 18, 2001) -- An analysis of public record LBPD reported crime data for 2000 reveals noteworthy information often hidden by "citywide" crime statistics. ("Citywide" crime stats offset disparate parts of the city, camouflaging areas in which residents may be disproportionately crime impacted.)

    LBReport.com provides below our analysis and interpretation by Council district.

  • Introduction, Methodology & Caveats

    The LBPD (and other police departments nationally) use a uniform system of reporting crime. Crimes are divided into Part 1 (serious or violent crimes) and Part 2 (other/less serious crimes).

    Part 1 (serious or violent crimes) are divided into crimes against persons (total murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery plus aggravated assault) and crimes against property (total residential, commercial and auto burglaries; auto, grand, petty & bike theft; plus arson).

    In terms of total LB reported crime citywide:

  • LB's total reported crimes in 2000 (total Part 1 and Part 2 crimes) did not decline in 2000. The citywide total remained basically the same as in 1999 (0.1% increase) after several years of significant declines.

  • Total Part 1 serious reported crimes against persons (total murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery, aggravated assault) fell 1.2% citywide

  • Total serious crimes against property (total residential, commercial and auto burglaries; auto, grand, petty & bike theft; plus arson) fell 2.6% citywide
  • Data by Council district

    Analyzing crime data by Council district has the advantage of comparing smaller areas of roughly equivalent population. To its credit, the LBPD reports crime data by Council district. Our analysis of LBPD's data indicates the following:

    Although Council district data are more illuminating than "citywide" data, they have a similar shortcoming: they offset disparate areas (in this case, parts of the Council district) that may have very different crime levels.

    For this reason, and because community based policing involves neighborhood-level issues, LBReport.com also posts LBPD's detailed, neighborhood level crime statistics on a link, below.

    Crime by Neighborhood size reporting district

    To its credit, the LBPD also reports crime by relatively small, neighborhood-size crime reporting districts. These data can provide very useful information for neighborhood groups and businesses.

    The LBPD's neighborhood size crime reporting districts in the central part of the city are roughly a quarter square mile (about 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile), although districts elsewhere in the city are irregularly shaped and larger. They provide greater detail but are not of equal population size.

    Neighborhood-size crime data provide the ultimate in neighborhood empowerment. They can dispel mythology and stereotypes and reveal neighborhood impacts masked by "citywide" or Council district crime data.

    As an example of how one neighborhood uses these detailed statistics, Bry Myown of the Rose Park Neighborhood Association compared Rose Park's reported crime data with her 2d Council district and "citywide" statistics. Yes, the borders of the Rose Park Neighborhood Ass'n don't exactly follow the LBPD reporting districts (they're very close; the LBPD reporting district extends to Cherry while the Assn's area stops at St. Louis.) Yes, the data only show crimes actually reported and we assume some quantum of crimes go unreported or are historically under-reported.

    Despite these and other caveats below, the resulting information can be noteworthy. With some time and energy, Ms. Myown found:

  • Part 1 Crimes Against People
    Rose Park +26.2%

    2nd District +2.5%
    Citywide -1.2%

  • Part 1 Crimes Against Property
    Rose Park +13.6%

    2nd District -1.4%
    Citywide -2.6%

  • Total Part 1 Crimes
    Rose Park + 15.5%

    2nd District -0.7%
    Citywide -2.4%

  • Part 2 Crimes
    Rose Park -1.2%

    2nd District - 3.5%
    Citywide +3.4%

  • Total Crimes (Part 1 + Part 2 crimes)
    Rose Park + 7.9%

    2nd District -2.0%
    Citywide +0.1%
    Citywide -2.6%
  • As this example shows, the LBPD data can be very useful for neighborhoods. The Rose Park Association has posted the data on their web site, including even more sophisticated breakdowns for smaller size areas within their Association area.

    These data are public record, and in the public interest, and so other homeowner, neighborhood and business groups can avail themselves of this data, LBReport.com has posted the LBPD detailed crime data for the entire city.

    The LBPD data are not (yet) published in digital form so they are less user-friendly than we'd like. To post them, we had to scan pages of LBPD's analog data and a large LBPD map into .pdf files.

    The result is unwieldy by today's digital standards and less than satisfactory for us. However, until LB City Hall devotes the resources to update its current system, we will do what it takes to bring the data to you as best we can given the limitations of the original data.

    We will also assist neighborhood or business groups wishing to analyze their area's data. If you'd like assistance, contact us at:

    mail@LBReport.com

    LBReport.com is continuing our analysis of the data and will post additional neighborhood breakouts as newsworthy.

    You can access the detailed LBPD data by clicking on Crime Data or the left side "Crime data" link on LBReport.com's pages.

    Caveats

    Crime statistics posted on LBReport.com do not assert or imply the safety or crime risk of any specific location or address. The data are public record and speak for themselves.

    Data can be interpretted in different ways. We urge readers not to draw inferences beyond the data. In our view, reported crime stats are analogous to an X-ray or ultrasound, an imperfect image but useful when used carefully.

    Finally, it behooves all of us to recall that these crime statistics represent real people -- LB residents, businesses, visitors or customers -- who were unjustly victimized in our city.


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