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CAMBRIDGE POLICE DEPARTMENT |
1996 ANNUAL REPORT
LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONER
It is my pleasure to present the Cambridge Police Department's 1996 Annual Crime Report. This report, which details crime by category and by community, continues this department's effort of graphically detailing the true nature of past crimes, so that fear can be dispelled and intelligent problem solving approaches can be developed that address these crimes. It is our belief that a well informed public will be better able to work with the Cambridge Police Department in planning for the twenty-first century.
Citizens' perceptions of what constitutes a city's crime problems are composed of many factors, including actual crime and the "fear of crime." This Annual Crime Report and the Neighborhood and Business District Profiles are designed to help inform citizens of the true nature of crime in the Cambridge community in an effort to dispel fear. The public's uncertainty about the amount of crime there is, and where these crimes are occurring, remains a major stumbling block in the development of problem solving strategies.
The objective of this report is to give Cantabridgians a realistic view of their risks of victimization. Armed with this knowledge, the community and police department can continue partnership efforts that address the identified crime, community concerns, and the community's misplaced perceptions.
Formation of these partnerships remains critical. Long-term solutions to crime, disorder, and quality of life issues must be forged jointly by the community and the police if they are to succeed. Community involvement is vital to the identification of community concerns. The information the community provides, the freshness of its ideas, and its assistance in identifying problems will empower the police to do an even better job in ensuring the quality of life and in reducing crime in the City of Cambridge.
It is hoped that by sharing this information with you as to what has truly occurred in our city, we can together more effectively develop effective strategies in this year-strategies that will further impact the causes of reported crime.
Sincerely yours
Police Commissioner
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