Dupont Circle: Fewer Robberies, Burglaries in September
Thefts from autos are the second most common type of crime in the area after thefts. There were 54 reported "smash and grabs" in September in PSA 208, which covers the Dupont-Kalorma area. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Matty Rhoades. Email Matty at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter @mattyrhoades.
The total number of crimes in September’s Police Service Area (PSA) 208 report shows a 17% decline from the previous year. Last month there were 162 crimes in the PSA that covers the Dupont-Kalorama area — compared to 195 in September 2010. Fewer robberies and burglaries were major factors in the decline. All numbers are from the MPD Crime Database.
There were 12 burglaries in the Dupont-Kalorama area in September, down from 26 the previous September. (MPD Crime Database)
The news was particularly good in that there were year-over-year (YOY) declines in both violent and property crimes. There were 19 violent crimes last month in the Dupont area compared to 27 the previous September, a 30% drop. Property crimes — which account for the vast majority of crimes — declined by 15%. There were 143 property crimes in PSA 208 last month compared to 168 in September 2010.
Notable Numbers
The major decrease in violent crime was in robberies: there were only 10 last month compared to 20 in September last year. The number of assaults was essentially unchanged; 8 last month compared to 7 the previous September.
In September, the noticeable decreases in property crime were in burglaries (down from 26 to 12) and thefts (down from 82 to 69). However, the number of thefts from autos (“smash and grabs”) was up slightly on a YOY basis: there were 54 last month compared to 49 in September 2010. Thefts from autos are consistently one of the two most common types of crimes in the Dupont area.
Three-Year Trend: 2008 to 2011
What does the three-year trend (2008-2011) for the month of September in PSA 208 show? Violent crime has decreased 23% while property crime is down 7%. Total crime — property and violent crime — has decreased by 11% for the three-year trend. Detailed numbers are in the chart below.
| Crime in Police Service Area 208: September 1-30 | ||||||
| Crime Type | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | % Change 2010 to 2011 | % Change 2008 to 2011 |
| Homicide | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | N.A. | Down 50% |
| Sex Abuse | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | Down 100% |
| Robbery without Gun | 17 | 12 | 19 | 7 | Down 63% | Down 59% |
| Robbery with Gun | 5 | 3 | 1 | 3 | Up 200% | Down 40% |
| Assault with Dangerous Weapon (no gun) | 5 | 5 | 7 | 8 | Up 14% | Up 60% |
| Assault with Dangerous Weapon (with gun) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | N.A. |
| Total Violent Crime | 29 | 21 | 27 | 19 | Down 30% | Down 23% |
| Burglary | 18 | 14 | 26 | 12 | Down 54% | Down 33% |
| Theft | 67 | 104 | 82 | 69 | Down 16% | Up 3% |
| Theft from Auto | 53 | 90 | 49 | 54 | Up 10% | Up 2% |
| Stolen Auto | 14 | 8 | 11 | 8 | Down 27% | Down 43% |
| Arson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | N.A. | Down 100% |
| Total Property Crime | 153 | 216 | 168 | 143 | Down 15% | Down 7% |
| TOTAL CRIME | 182 | 237 | 195 | 162 |
Down 17% |
Down 11% |
