1999 Annual Report

Other Part II Crimes

Under the Uniform Crime Reporting Program, any actual crime not recorded as a Part I Crime (Murder, Rape, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny and Auto Theft) is a Part II Crime. The relative infrequency of patterns and trends among these crimes discourages detailed analysis.

Disorderly Conduct

Most incidents of disorderly conduct occur on Friday and Saturday nights. Examples include bar disputes, arguments between the homeless, and conflicts with police officers that escalate into shouting, profanity, and threats. Police make arrests for this crime when a person disrupts the peace enough to pose a danger.

Drinking in Public

In response to complaints from residents and businesses in Central Square, the Police Department adopted a “zero-tolerance” policy towards drinking in public beginning in the spring of 1999. Consequently, arrests for this crime increased 116% for the year. Over 80% of those arrested are homeless, and over 70% of arrests occur in the Central Square district.

Extortion/Blackmail

A rare crime, involving an offender taking money from a victim by threatening to do something other than use violence. The suspect was known to the victim in all three 1999 incidents.

Hit and Run Accidents

The third most common crime in Cambridge. 5% of the hit and runs in Cambridge this year involved pedestrians, 27% involved moving cars, 66% parked cars, and 2% damage to other property.

Kidnapping

Three out of the five incidents reported in 1999 involved parental custodial kidnapping. The fourth was an attempt on April 29 on Brookline Street in which a white male between 30 and 40 pulled up alongside a 10-year-old girl and said, “Get in the car.” The girl ran away. The fifth occurred on October 28 when someone witnessed a female being dragged out of Harvard Yard by a man. The female was screaming. The man might have been her brother, but neither party was ever located to confirm.

Liquor Violations

Liquor violations generally involve minors drinking, though it can also include the sale of liquor to a minor, or the unlicensed sale of liquor. Police arrested youths drinking on Harvard Square rooftops on two occasions, and in May and July, stings broke up two illegal liquor sale operations that sold booze to homeless people out of Area 4 apartments.

Operating Under the Influence (OUI)

Attacks on all fronts have reduced this crime nationwide, but every incident still poses a deadly danger. Well over half of all O.U.I. arrests occur between midnight and 4:00 a.m., as people drive home from bars. The majority of the incidents are concentrated on the weekend.

Threatening

A self-explanatory crime that often arises in domestic disputes, arguments between acquaintances and co-workers, school fights, and in other environments. Many occur over the telephone.

Traffic Arrests

The average traffic stop for speeding, running a red light, or related offenses results in only a warning or citation. Some of traffic offenses, however, are arrestable crimes: driving to endanger, driving after suspension or revocation, possession of a counterfeit inspection sticker, and attaching false license plates are all examples. Such arrests are often made during routine traffic stops, after the police officer learns of the driver’s suspension or revocation.

Trespassing

Arrests for trespassing are generally made at commercial establishments where the offender has been previously warned not to tread. Often, the same offender is arrested multiple times. 46% of trespassing arrests in 1999 were made on Massachusetts Institute of Technology property.

Weapons Violations

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Last Updated: 04/24/00 11:29:57