Loading ...TRUE CRIME
Before we get a rotator cup injury patting ourselves on the back for the drop in Indianapolis’ homicide rate from a near record 153 in 2006 to 124 in 2007, there are some other disturbing crime trends that have gone unreported which go to the quality of life of this community.
According to the FBI Uniform Crime Statistics, in 2006 aggravated assaults increased 27 percent, residential burglaries were up 33 percent and robberies were up 27 percent. And if you really want to put this in some perspective, let’s go back to 2002. Since 2002, the number of reported robberies has increased 27 percent from 3,000 to 3,815. Burglaries went from 9,662 in 2002 to 12,191 for an increase of 26 percent. My personal favorite category is aggravated assaults, because had someone had better aim or not as good health care, they’d be dead. In 2002 there were 4,200 reported aggravated assaults. In 2006, that number rose to 4,955 for an increase of 18 percent.
When you add up all the major felonies, murder, residential burglary, aggravated assault, rape, robbery, arson and larceny the total in 2002 was 48,503. In 2006 that number rose 16 percent to 56,134. Now I know what you’re thinking, “Marion County’s population grew over that time and more people translate into more crime.” Well, not really. According to the same FBI stats, the total population for the area covered by the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department was 804,034 in 2002. In 2006, that number was 800,969 for a drop of 0.4 percent. So we have slightly fewer people than four years ago, but a lot more crime.
And just to make you feel better, in 2002 there were 6,000 reported crimes per 100,000 citizens. In 2006, that number was 7,000. So your chances of being a victim of a major felony have gone up 17 percent in the past four years. And unlike murder, where the victim and the assailant usually know each other, odds are you won’t know the person who makes you a statistic for the 2008 uniform crime statistics.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:15 pm
Are they counting the illegals in this number?
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:43 pm
Who’s patting themselves on their back beside you, Abdul?
The city has a fight on its hands. Taking back the streets from the criminals who have been given free range by our former mayor and waste of space sheriff is going to be a battle. It is also the very reason why the police should be under our new mayor and not under Anderson.
January 2nd, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Sorry, free reign
January 2nd, 2008 at 10:26 pm
the rotator cup…is that near the rotator cuff??
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:02 am
Carl Brizzi needs to go!
January 3rd, 2008 at 10:14 am
with the new mayor lets hope he makes safety job one…..however we can have police officers make every arrest on every criminal they come in contact with, but it doesn’t do any good if there is no jail space for them…remember use my juice Gray.
January 3rd, 2008 at 8:50 pm
Crime in Indy is higher than GARY, based on 2006 stats from city-data.com
http://www.bartpeterson.com/crime.jpg
Meanwhile I see these sheriffs deputies or whatever they’re called now doing seatbelt enforcement for hours on end out here.
This city is so screwed.
January 4th, 2008 at 11:46 am
Thank you for this perspective Abdul… better than the star’s.
January 4th, 2008 at 1:38 pm
“Sorry, free reign”
Sorrier…it’s “free rein”. As in, giving the horse free rein to run as fast as he wants to go.
The schools today…
February 12th, 2008 at 11:16 am
Crime rates are at the lowest since reporting has begun in the 1970s by the FBI. You are at a lower risk of being a victim of violent crime than you ever have been, currently. You have .6% chance of being a victim of a violent crime in the US. You’re not at risk. The streets are not being run by the “criminals.” We are not in a “fight” as a state. Stop listening to the news and reading the newspapers and look at real statistics and sources. Be aware of where you’re at, and who’s around you. It’s a fact of reality. Bart Peterson wasn’t going to change anything, and Greg Ballard isn’t going to change anything. When are you going to figure it out? Putting more police officers on the streets does nothing. Look at the Kansas City Preventive Patrol Study. Get a job, go to school, and stop relying on 6 news, channel 8 news, and channel 13 news. They are wrong. They are doing nothing but attempting to create a moral panic because there’s no other news to cover.