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Dorchester/Mattapan is murder central, but overall crime is rising fastest in Boston Proper
By adamg on Mon, 06/12/2006 - 9:25pm
Through June 11, Boston Police statistics show that murders and shootings are up over the same period last year citywide (although non-fatal shootings are now "only" 81% above the same period last year - earlier in the year, they were 100+% above last year's rate). Rapes, robberies and burglaries are down, as are vehicle thefts (while aggravated assault and larceny are up).
However, the citywide numbers mask what's happening in individual neighborhoods - some are getting safer, while others are seeing overall increases in crime. While overall "part 1" crime (basically, violent crime and larcenies) decreased 18.4% in Allston/Brighton, 17.7% in West Roxbury and Roslindale and 16% in Hyde Park, it went up 7.6% in Area A1 - Beacon Hill, Back Bay, Chinatown and Downtown. The A1 increase came largely through a 21% increase in larcenies and attempted larcenies; part of an overall citywide increase in that type of crime. Other neighborhoods reporting overall crime increases: Roxbury, Mattapan and Jamaica Plain. All other areas reported decreases.
However, the department's public statistics do not break out shootings by neighborhood. Area B3 - Mattapan and North Dorchester - however, has emerged as Boston's murder central - 11 of the city's 29 murders to date have been there. Seven have occurred in Roxbury and five in the rest of Dorchester.
Key crime stats, by police district, year to date (you might also want to look at this map of Boston police districts).
Shootings, year to date.
Neighborhoods:
Topics:
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Comments
Larcenies?
These 'larcenies' that are not burglaries, not robberies, and not auto thefts -- are they shopliftings?
Over-simplifying,
Over-simplifying, but:
Larceny = your basic theft, which would include shoplifting and also events such as "I looked away for a second and my bag was gone". Basically, if you don't know how it happened, it is Larceny and not Robbery.
Robbery = Larceny + Assault, which generally means theft from your presence; a street holdup or purse snatching would count.
Burglary = breaking and entering to commit a crime (including Larceny)
Relation to Development Patterns?
I am curious whether part of the increase in reported crime in the downtown area merely reflects increasing residential density in this area. A number of buildings which were formerly empty at night (or always) have been converted to residential use. This certainly has the effect of increasing the number of people on the streets at night, and thus perhaps the number of possible targets for crime.
The recent development pattern may also have increased retail density, which in particular would support the larceny increase.