For the first six months of 2011, violent crime decreased 7% compared to the same period of 2011. However, property crime was up 8%, which drove total crime up 4%. (Luis Gomez Photos)
From Matty Rhoades
How are D.C.’s crime stats looking for the first half of 2011? The main number everyone looks for in D.C. is homicides and there is good news to report: There were 55 homicides in the first six months of 2011 compared to 60 in the same period of 2010, an 8% drop.
Overall, crime was up 4% due to an 8% rise in property crimes during the January-June period. Violent crime was actually down 7% during the first six months of 2011 from the same period in 2010. All numbers are from the MPD Crime Database.
See the chart below for specific D.C. crime numbers for the January-June period. Later this week we will have six-month stats for the Dupont, Logan and U Street neighborhoods.
Property Crime Up 8%. There were increases in four of the five types of property crimes: burglaries are up 13%, thefts up 17%, theft from auto up 4%, and arson up 12% (a small number of crimes). However, there were 11% fewer stolen autos in the first six months of 2011.
Click to enlarge: There were 27 thefts from autos last month. (MPD Crime Database)
Year-over-year property crime as up in March in the Logan Circle area. There were 63 reported crimes in the Logan Circle’s Police Service Area (PSA) 307 last month compared to 48 in March of 2010.
The increase was due to more property crime, specifically thefts from autos (“smash and grabs”) and thefts. Last month there were 52 property crimes in PSA 307 compared to 35 in March 2010.
The number of violent crimes last month decreased to 11 from 13 in March 2010. Of the 11 violent crimes last month in PSA 307, one was a homicide (on 11th Street NW) while seven were robberies (two with guns) and three were assaults (none with guns). All numbers are from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Crime Database and details are below the fold.
How do the numbers for March 2011 and March 2010 compare to 2009 and 2008? In March 2008, there were 52 crimes in PSA 307 (seven violent, 45 property), and in January 2009 there were 87 crimes (12 of them violent, 75 property). See the chart below the fold for more details.
The boundaries of PSA 307 are 9th to 15th Streets NW and from L to S Streets NW.
PSA 305 had 15 violent crimes in January 2011. Nine were robberies and six were assaults; two of the robberies were committed with a gun. The two gun crimes were on the 1300 block of W Street and 1300 block of Wallach Place NW. (MPD Crime Database)
The number of crimes in Police Service Area (PSA) 305 last month declined slightly from January 2010. There were 56 crimes compared to 61 the previous January. The decline was in property crimes; there were 48 property crimes in January 2010 and 41 last month. The number of violent crimes in PSA 305 increased slightly, from 13 in January 2010 to 15 last month. PSA 305 covers the U Street NW area as well as the Howard University area to the northeast.
Check Borderstan’s Local Resources Page for links to information on police and crime data.
What does the trend line show? In January 2008, there were 102 crimes in PSA 307 (17 of them violent crimes) and in January 2009 there were 93 crimes (16 of them violent crimes). Over the past three years, property crimes have dropped by 52% while violent crime has remained stable. As a result, the total number of crimes decreased 45% from January 2008 to January 2011.
Specific Crimes in PSA 305
- Robberies were up slightly. There were 11 robberies in PSA 305 in January (two with guns) compared to nine in January 2010 (five with guns).
- There were four assaults last month, the same as January 2010 (when one was with a gun).
- Gun crimes were down. Gun crimes are all crimes committed with guns. There were two last month compared to six in January 2010.
- Burglaries were down. There were four burglaries last month in PSA 305, compared to seven in January 2010.
- Thefts were down. Thefts decreased from 19 in January 2010 to 15 last month.
- Thefts from autos were up. “Smash and grabs” increased noticeably in PSA 305. There were 17 last month compared to 11 in January 2010.
- Fewer cars were stolen. The number of stolen autos declined from 10 in January 2010 to five last month.
The robbery on Saturday at 1 p.m. was in front of Results Gym at 1612 U Street NW, a very busy location, particularly on a Saturday afternoon. (Luis Gomez Photos)
Right in the heart of Borderstan on U Street… around 1 p.m. on Saturday two men robbed a woman at 16th and U NW. In fact, the address on the crime report is 1612 U Street NW, which is the address for Results Gym and Bang Salon. The police caught two suspects shortly afterward. (Full details follow.) According to MPD, one of the two suspects is being held and a pre-trial hearing is tomorrow; no word yet from MPD or the prosecutor’s office on the second suspect.
But here is the kicker. The two suspects were driving a car that they supposedly carjacked earlier in the day in Prince George’s County. Still, the story gets better. One of the two suspects arrested for the 16th and U robbery was arrested earlier this month by the MPD in the 7th District for carjacking. The court had released him–yes, he was free–pending his trial for carjacking. (I have not yet been able to determine whether this particular suspect is being held or if he was released again; I will update as I get more information.)
It is bad enough that the two suspects felt free to commit a robbery at one of the busiest intersections in the area in broad daylight–across the street from MPD 3rd District headquarters at 1620 V Street NW. (The crime occurred in the 2nd District, however.)
But one of the suspects was free on bail after being arrested for carjacking. Call me naive, but I thought carjacking probably got you thrown in jail without bail.
(more…)
Here are recent crimes of note in Police Service Areas (PSAs) 208, 307 and 305 for the October 17-23 period in the Dupont Circle, U Street and Logan Circle areas. Crimes of note are stolen autos, burglaries and violent crimes such as robberies and assaults.
This week, nothing but robberies to report–four of them with guns. (more…)
Click to enlarge: There were 21 robberies with a gun (shown above) in the first nine months of 2009 in Borderstan; there were another 43 robberies without a gun. In addition, there were 4 assaults with a gun, for a total of 25 gun crimes. This is up from 12 gun crimes during the same period of 2008. (Map: MPD crime database)
One can slice and dice crime stats the same way you can any other set of statistics: a million different ways. Personally, I find the most complete way of looking at crime trends is to get the numbers for the previous year (365 days), and then compare them to the same period the year before. This gives you one full year that takes into account seasonal differences.
Calendar-Year Reporting
However, the city and police department work on the calendar year. For example, you have probably read that the number of murders on a year-to-date basis in DC is down. (DC’s murder rate is down this year and much lower than in the 1980s and 1990s).
Moreover, crime stats are reported to the FBI on a calendar year basis. So, I decided to run the crime stats for the Borderstan reporting area¹ stats for the first three quarters of 2009, the third quarter having ended on September 30. I then compared them to the first nine months (three quarters) of 2008 and 2007. Following is what I found from the MPD online crime database.
Click to enlarge: Of the 64 Borderstan robberies between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30, 2009, a total of 43 were committed without a gun; those committed without guns are shown here. (Map: MPD crime database)
Total Crime
Total crimes for the January 1 through September 30 period by year:
- 492 in 2007
- 514 in 2008 (4% increase over 2007)
- 598 in 2009 (16% increase over 2008 and 22% increase over 2007).
(more…)
Click to enlarge: There were 10 violent crimes in Borderstan in September 2009. There is a noticeable concentration in the northeastern part of the area. (Map: MPD crime database)
Click to enlarge: Thefts from autos are the most common crime in the Borderstan area; there were 30 in September 2009. This map shows a concentration west of 15th St. NW. (Map: MPD crime database)
The number of crimes in September 2009 in the Borderstan crime reporting area¹ is up substantially over the previous two Septembers, 2007 and 2008.
The rise is being driven by property crimes, mostly thefts (up 85% from two years ago) and thefts from autos (up 173% from two years ago).
While violent crime remained steady, the number of gun crimes is up noticeably–a trend we have been seeing all year.
Total crime (both violent and property crimes) for the month of September 2009 in the Borderstan crime area¹ is 27% higher than in September 2008 and 61% higher than September 2007.
September: Year by Year
- 44 crimes in September 2007
- 56 crimes in September 2008 (27% increase over 2007)
- 71 crimes in September 2009 (27% increase over 2008 and 61% increase over 2007).
Historical numbers are provided to give you perspective on the crime rate trend in the neighborhood. (You can run crime statistics from the DC MPD online crime database for up to two years.)
Here are recent crimes of note in Police Service Areas (PSAs) 208, 307 and 305 for the October 1-11 period in the Dupont Circle, U Street and Logan Circle areas. Crimes of note are stolen autos, burglaries and violent crimes such as robberies and assaults. (more…)
Got this police alert… the robbery location was straight north of Dupont Circle and one block east of Connecticut Avenue. Appears to have been 3 to 4 juveniles.
Police Alert-ROBBERY FORCE & VIOLENCE. ROBBERY F & V_1:21 PM_19TH & R ST NW_LOOK FOR 3-4 B/M JUVENILE HEADED TOWARDS DUPONT CIR. WEARING DARK CLOTHING. ONE IS WEARING A RED CAP. DO NOT TAKE ACTION CALL 911 W/EVENT #I20090549071. Sent on: 10/02 13:33
This map (click to view larger image) shows the locations of the 11 violent crimes that occurred in the Borderstan crime area (highlighted in yellow) between July 14 and August 13. There were 7 robberies without a gun, 3 robberies with a gun, and 1 assault with a deadly weapon (no gun). Source and image: MPD Crime Search database.
This map (click to view larger image) shows the locations of the 26 violent crimes that occurred in PSA 208 (mostly the Dupont Circle area, highlighted in yellow) between July 14 and August 13. There were 17 robberies without a gun, 3 robberies with a gun, and 6 assaults with a deadly weapon (no gun). Source and image: MPD Crime Search database.
The following message is from Commander Matt Klein, head of the MPD’s Second District. Klein explains measures he has put in place in response to several armed robberies that occurred recently in Borderstan.
Police Service Area (PSA) 208 is part of 2D and covers the Dupont Circle area, including western Borderstan. The armed robbery at 14th & P NW occurred in PSA 307, which covers primarily the Logan Circle area including eastern Borderstan.
From Commander Klein:
PSA 208 covers the Dupont Circle neighborhood and part of Kalorama Circle. West Borderstan (west of 15th Street) is in PSA 208. (Image: MPD Web site.)
The violent crime rate for the first five months of the year in the Dupont-Kalorama area of DC is up 24.7% since 2007, according to statistics from the MPD’s crime database for Police Service Area (PSA) 208.
The most disturbing statistics relate to the rise in robberies and gun crimes. Robberies (with and without a gun) are up 42.8% in two years for the January-May period. Gun crimes (assaults and robberies with a gun) have increased 50% in two years–85% since last year alone.
Property crime is up 6.6% for the January-May reporting period since 2007. Overall, total crime is up 8.5% for the first five months of the year since 2007 in the Dupont-Kalorama neighborhood.
PSA 208 encompasses the Dupont Circle neighborhood and part of the Kalorama Circle area. West Borderstan (west of 15th Street) is in PSA 208.
A more detailed analysis and chart are below the fold. (more…)
The Metropolitan Police Department has seven districts citywide. Borderstan is divided between the 2nd District (PSA 208) and the 3rd District (PSA 307).
Borderstanians: This message from MPD Chief of Police Cathy Lanier was posted on Yahoo! Groups on Sunday night, January 4. Chief Lanier provides some interesting, helpful statistics on D.C. crime–and she has some good news.
Happy New Years, everyone. Below some facts on where we ended our year with the help of our committed community members. We ended the year with huge victories on crime:
- Violent crime down 5% citywide.
- Biggest crime reduction citywide: MPD’s Fifth District.
- All gun crimes were down by double digits:
- Robberies with guns down 12%.
- Assaults with guns down 14%.
