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Crime Stats Released – We’ve Got Details For The CD

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CHS has a great report that summaries the recently released citywide crime stats over the last 11 months. The headline: there’s been a significant jump in crime in the East Precinct so far this year:

The 14% month over month jump in April 2009 from March is a big change from 2008’s trend and it apparently has the precinct concerned. Here is the analysis the SPD included in their East Precinct report (attached to this post): As the chart above indicates, the trend line in East has been variable with total Major Crimes declining in each of the first three months, compared with the previous month, before rising in April. This is a departure from 2008 when the trend was relatively flat.

We dug into the detailed stats the after noon to come up with a view of crime trends specifically in the Central District. Overall? Things are headed down around us in all areas but theft, indicating that the increase across the precinct must be localized to Capitol Hill & First Hill.  (note that we call this the “Greater Central District” because police stats span neighborhood boundaries. These include stats from the CD, Leschi, Madrona, Madison Park, and Montlake)

First up is all crimes across the neighborhood from January of 2008 through the end of April 2009:

Next up, we’ve got specific breakouts of each individual category of crime in specific areas of the neighborhood. The line in each graph below represents a different police beat. This SPD map has the details of where those beats are. Generally, they are:

  • C3 (“Charlie 3”) is everything north of Union and east of 23rd Ave. (Madison Valley, part of Madrona, Madison Park, Broadmore, and Montlake)
  • G1 (“George 1”) is everything south of Madison, west of 23rd Ave, north of Yesler, and east of 14th. (think of it as “Squire Park Plus the Triangle”)
  • G2 includes the area south of Yesler, west of MLK, and north and west of I-90 (Judkins Park, Jefferson Park)
  • G3 is everything south of Union, east of 23rd/MLK, and north of I-90. (Garfield, Leschi, Madrona)

Burglaries show the most interesting trend, peaking in July of last year and then plummeting through the end of last year. The overview document attached above says that burglaries in our area are headed down again this year due to a big arrest:

The reduction in burglaries in East Precinct is likely the result of investigations by East Precinct detectives into burglary cases in occupied premises in 2008 and early 2009. The suspect identified in several cases in 2008 had been featured on Western Washington’s Most Wanted and subsequent tips led to his arrest in March. In another case, serialized items from the burglary were located at a pawnshop, leading to the suspect’s identification and arrest. He was also wanted on burglary charges in Kitsap County.

CHS also notes that SPD will be releasing these stats more frequently now, so hopefully we can look forward to monthly updates soon.

0 thoughts on “Crime Stats Released – We’ve Got Details For The CD”

  1. Can you clarify for me the differences between a theft, a burglary and a robbery?

  2. My layman explanations:
    Robbery – When someone steals property under the threat of or application of violence.
    Burglary – When someone enters a premise and steals something from inside
    Theft – When something is stolen and it doesn’t match any of the above

    Examples:
    If you walk into a business or residence and steal something from inside, it’s a burglary (shoplifting doesn’t count)
    If you go into the convenience store with a gun and demand cash, it’s a robbery due to the implied threat of violence
    If you use your body strength to steal something from someone on the street, it’s a robbery
    If you break into a vehicle and steal something from inside, it’s a theft
    If you break into a shed or detached garage or other structure that only stores things, it’s a theft
    If you walk past a yard and steal a lawnmower that someone has left out, it’s a theft
    If you take something from a store without paying for it, it’s a theft (shoplifting)
    If you shoplift something from a store, but shove a security guard on your way out, it’s a robbery

  3. The murders that have occurred are virtually all in the areas with no community councils. This is by tracking actual locations which is narrower than the sectors.

    BTW Mad Valley has been high in breakins for decades now….

  4. Generally speaking, theft involves taking property or services of another with intent to deprive that person of the property or services. Robberty involves taking property from a person against that person’s will or by use of immediate force, violence, or fear of injury to that person. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.56

    Burglary involves unlawfully entering a building with the intent to commit a crime against a person or property therein. First degree Burglary can be charged when the person enters with a deadly weapon or assaults a person in the property or dwelling. Second degree can be charged for entering or remaining unlawfully in the building or dwelling with intent to commit a crime against a person or property. http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.52

  5. The charts are excellent. I am wondering where the data came from, since the neighborhood breakouts are not in the PDF files released by the SPD on their site as is not referenced in the CHS report either. I had been looking, without success, for the information from our area, C3. I’ll link to you.