CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT

1996 ANNUAL REPORT

BURGLARY

Burglary describes the unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft. The use of force to gain entry is not required to classify an offense as burglary.

Burglary is considered a much graver crime than larceny, since it usually involves breaking into someone's home. Great diversity exists within the ranks of burglars: a good many are simply unrefined thieves who, with little finesse, will smash a window and enter a unoccupied house or building. Because long-term success at burglary involves innovation, risk, and proficiency, however, the crime is often associated with professional, master thieves.

Burglaries in Cambridge are evenly spread throughout the day. Seldom does a resident encounter a burglar, and only very rarely (except in the case of domestic burglaries) does a resident come to harm during a burglary.

In 1996, Cambridge missed 1994's 30-year burglary low by only 17 incidents. The 1996 burglary statistic declined 17 percent from 1995. The crime has been on a steady decline in Cambridge since 1981, when it peaked at a shocking 2,745 incidents. Cambridge statistics mirror a national decline in burglary during the same period.

The Crime Analysis Unit attributes the dramatic declines in burglary to the demise of the "one-man crime wave." This professional burglar-the subject who was once responsible for 200 to 300 housebreaks per year-has been put out of business by priority prosecution programs, patrol and investigative strategies, and early detection of patterns.

For the purpose of analysis, the crime of Burglary is divided into two categories: Commercial Burglary and Residential Burglary.

Commercial Burglary

Commercial burglary decreased 13 percent from last year. Seventeen percent of the 221 commercial burglaries this year occurred at business offices such as research centers, architectural firms, real estate offices, and corporation headquarters. The thieves targeted laptop computers, fax machines, and other expensive office supplies. Burglars also hit bars, restaurants, and stores in large numbers, hoping for a share of the day's profits.

Perhaps the most disturbing pattern in 1996 involved 17 burglaries of churches. The typical church burglar is an unskilled, crude thief who likes unsecured, easily accessible goods like church collection boxes. Church burglars are often homeless and are sometimes regular patrons of their target's various charitable services.

The leap in Porter Square burglaries can be raced to a number of distinctive patterns. The first began in January with four incidents in the 2200-2300 block. The suspect broke thruogh the doors of these establishments and later superglued the locks. Then, in July, a dozen more commercial burglaries hit the same area--part of a pattern that stretched from North Cambridge to the Harvard Square area.

With the exception of East Cambridge, the other business districts experienced comfortable declines in Commercial Burglary. This followed an almost universal increase in 1995. The Inman Square area lost a crude pattern of kick-in-the-door burglaries that plagued Cambridge Streets in 1995. Construction site burglaries that hit Cambridgeport in 1995 disappeared as the construction was completed.

Geographic Breakdown of Commercial Burglaries

Residential Burglary

Residential burglary became the only index crime this year for which no neighborhood registered an increase. Each section of the city enjoyed its portion of the 18 percent citywide decrease. The crime's geography remained the same as last year, with Mid-Cambridge showing the highest concentrations, followed by Area 4, North Cambridge, and Cambridgeport. The two most congested neighborhoods, Mid-Cambridge and Area 4, exhibited significant declines.

The notable reduction in residential burglaries in 1996 can be attributed to the absence of the traditional summertime peak. In 1995, the crime reached to between 70 and 80 incidents per month from June to September. In 1996, however, monthly totals, which averaged between 40 and 50 incidents, remained level throughout the year, with the exception of a single 72-incident peak in August and a low of 30 reports in November and December.

Several patterns stood out from the city's 570 residential burglaries. Two arrests in the first week of January halted a blossoming pattern of six incidents in Riverside and Mid-Cambridge. In mid-January, an unrefined burglar ransacked several apartments in Cambridgeport, and on January 30, the arrest of a career criminal on Jackson Street ended a pattern that had plagued North Cambridge. In February and March, Area 4 and Mid-Cambridge were swept with housebreaks in which jewelry, VCRs, and compact disks were targeted. Preventive patrol concentrations, coupled with the arrest of three subjects, caused the pattern to falter.

Geographic Breakdown of Residential Burglary

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