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News in Depth/Analysis
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.
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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:
- The 1st district had the highest total number of serious crimes against persons (total murder, manslaughter, rape, robbery plus aggravated assault): 566 (averaging 1.5 of such crimes every day somewhere in the district). Just behind was the 6th district with 564; the 2d district was third with 457.
- The 6th district had 12 murders, the 1st district had 11 murders, an average of roughly one murder a month somewhere in each Council district.
- Murders increased 75% in the 2d district, from 4 (1999) to 7 (2000).
- 61% of LB's murders (30 of LB's 49 total in 2000) took place in the 1st, 2d and 6th districts. Nearly half took place in the 1st and 6th districts.
- The 1st district had more than six times the number of serious crimes against persons (566) as the 5th district (90).
- The 2d district had the highest total number of serious crimes against property (2,165), averaging nearly six per day somewhere in the district. The total included 588 auto burglaries and 441 auto thefts.
- The 2d district had the highest number of total reported crimes of all types (serious crimes against persons and property, plus all others): 4,714 (averaging about 13 per day somewhere in the district). Just behind was the 1st district with 4,681. The 5th district had the lowest total (2,365) although it increased nearly 10% over last year (see below).
- The 4th district saw commercial burglaries increase 42.8% (from 70 to 100) over 1999. Residential burglaries fell slightly (-2.4%) from 207 to 202.
- 4th district aggravated assault increased 13.1% (145 to 164) and grand theft increased 13.8% (94 to 107).
- The 4th district had more auto burglaries (495) than the 9th district (278).
- Total 4th district Part 1 (serious crimes against persons and property) rose 3.9%. Total Part 2 crimes increased 5.3%.
- The 4th district had more total reported crimes than the 9th district (the 4th district had 3,662, the 9th district 3,660). However, the 9th district had a higher proportion of Part 1 serious crimes.
- The 4th district had nearly four times the number of Part 1 serious crimes against persons as the 5th district.
- Total 4th district crimes rose 4.5% from 3,503 to 3,662
- The 5th district had nearly a 10% increase in total reported crimes over 1999.
- 5th district Part 1 (serious) crimes against persons fell 11.7% since 1999.
- 5th district Part 1 (serious) crimes against property rose 5.2%
- 5th district auto burglaries increased 13.1% (258 to 292) and auto theft increased 5.7% (332 to 351).
- The 5th district had more reported grand thefts and auto burglaries than the 9th district.
- 5th district Part 2 (less serious) crimes increased 19.2% (845 to 1008).
- The 7th Council district posted crime increases in nearly every reporting category:
- Murder, up 20% (5 in 1999, 6 in 2000)
- Rape, up rape 16.6%
- Robbery, up 23.8%
- Aggravated assault, up 17.1%
- Residential burglary, up 5.1%
- Commercial burglary, up 77.7% (63 in 1999, 112 in 2000)
- Grand theft, up 18.2%
- Auto theft. up 13.3%
- 7th district decreases were posted in auto burglary (-9.2%) and bike theft (-56.6%),
- The 8th district had a higher total number of reported crimes (3,464) than the 7th district (2,794).
- The 8th district had a higher total of Part 1 reported crimes against persons (307) than the 7th district (303).
- The 8th district had a higher total of Part 1 reported crimes against property (1,599) than the 7th district (1,344).
- The 8th district had higher total of Part 2 reported crimes (1,558) than the 7th district (1,147).
- 8th district total reported Part 1 crimes were down 3.9%, part 2 crimes 1.6%, and total reported crimes down 2.9% from 1999.
- Although 9th district auto burlgaries rose slightly (+6.1%), 9th district auto burglaries were significantly lower (278) than 4th district auto burglaries (495).
- 9th district murder fell 33.3% (6 in 2000, 9 in 1999).
- 9th district grand theft fell 20.1% (83 in 2000, 104 in 1999), The 9th district had fewer reported grand thefts than the 3d, 4th or 5th districts.
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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