Last 60 Days in Borderstan: Crime Up 34% Over 2008, 41% Over 2007

I decided to look up the Borderstan¹ crime stats for the past 60 days and compare them to the same 60-day period in both 2007 and 2008. I had a feeling that the past 60 days were worse than last year; this was the case for the month of August. (See “UPDATED: Borderstan August Crime Up 37% From Last Year” and “Borderstan Crime Up 15% in August; 26% in 2 Months.”)

And my hunch was that it was the last 60 days or so that were noticeably worse. My hunch was based on the seemingly large numbers of robberies with guns in the area recently. I even looked at the numbers for the last 90 days–overall crime was up compared to the previous two years, but not as much as when one only looks at the last 60 days.

For the July 24 to September 22 period in Borderstan, violent crime is up 57% over 2008 (robberies and gun crimes increased substantially) and up 5% over 2007. Property crime is up 31% from 2008 and up 48% over 2007. Total crime (both categories) is up 34% from  2008 and up 41% over 2007.

IMPORTANT NOTES: The increases in crime in the Borderstan reporting area are in noticeable, concentrated areas. The increase in violent crime, especially robberies, seems to be concentrated in an area between Rhode Island Avenue and U Street and from around 9th to 16th Streets NW. When you look at the stats for this 60-day period for Police Service Areas 208 (Dupont Circle) and 307 (Logan Circle-Shaw), the picture is a bit different.

In PSA 307, crime was slightly down (including violent crime) and the number of robberies was the same in 2009 as in 2008 for this 60-day period. In PSA 208, violent crime is virtually the same for this period in 2009 as it was in 2008 (robberies went up to 39 from 35 last year). However, property crime in 208 is up a whopping 41% from last year for the July 24-September 22 period, driven by increases in thefts and thefts from autos; burglaries are up slightly.

For the Borderstan crime reporting area¹, here are the specifics for the July 24-September 22 period:

• Violent crime is up 57% over 2008 and up 5% over 2007.
  • Robberies are up 91% over 2008 and up 31% over 2007.
  • Gun crime is up 150% over both 2008 and 2007.
• Property crime is up 31% over 2008 and up 48% over 2007.
  • Theft is up 62% over 2008 and 71% over 2007.
  • Theft from autos is up 36% over 2008 and 106% over 2007.
  • Stolen auto rate is up down 21% over 2008 but up 120% over 2007.
• Total crime is up 34% over 2008 and up 41% over 2007.

Here are the detailed numbers.

• Total Violent Crime, July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 21
  • 2008: 14
  • 2009: 22
• Robbery (with and without a gun), July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 16 (4 were robberies with a gun)
  • 2008: 11 (4 were robberies with a gun)
  • 2009: 21 (9 were robberies with a gun)
• Gun Crime (robberies & assaults with gun), July 24-September 22:
  • 2007: 4
  • 2008: 4
  • 2009: 10

 

• Total Property Crime,July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 95
  • 2008: 108
  • 2009: 141
• Burglary, July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 24
  • 2008: 10
  • 2009: 5
• Theft, July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 35
  • 2008: 37
  • 2009: 60
• Theft from Auto, July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 31
  • 2008: 47
  • 2009: 64
• Stolen Auto,July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 5
  • 2008: 14
  • 2009: 11

• TOTAL CRIME,July 24-September 22
  • 2007: 116
  • 2008: 122
  • 2009: 163

¹ The Borderstan crime reporting area (see map at top) covers a circular area that radiates 1,500 feet from 15th and Corcoran Streets NW–an area that runs  from 13th Street/Logan Circle west to New Hampshire Avenue/half way between 17th and 18th Streets… and from Rhode Island Avenue/O Street  in the south to T/Caroline Streets in the north. The Borderstan crime reporting area is divided between Police Service Area (PSA) 208 (west of 15th) and PSA 307 (east of 15th), with a sliver of PSA 305.

² I regularly report crime stats for the Borderstan crime reporting area each month. In order to provide some information that is somewhat reflective of what is going on, I show stats for the previous three months of 2009. In addition, I provide crime stats for the previous month and compare it to the same month in 2007 and 2008; this helps account for seasonal differences and provides historical perspective.