1998 Annual Report
A Message from the Commissioner
The overall index crime in the City of Cambridge registered a slight increase in calendar year 1998. Although the increase was less than one percent, it was the first increase in the past five years.
Three of the crimes that increased between 1997 and 1998 were street robbery (+23%, 35 additional incidents), housebreaks (+20%, 81 additional incidents), and larcenies from motor vehicles (+14%, 86 additional incidents). These jumps are particularly disturbing because, as was written in one of the neighborhood profiles in the 1997 Annual Crime Report: "[Housebreaks and street robberies] together have the potential to strangle the lifeblood from a neighborhood."
In 1997, Cambridge reported historic 30-year lows in many crimes, including street robbery and housebreaks. The numbers in 1998, while higher than 1997, were not higher than 1996 or preceding years. In other words, if 1997 recorded the lowest crime rate in 30 years, 1998 accounted for the second lowest.
None of these statistics, however, mitigate the fact that, in 1998, there was a reversal of a positive trend. The Cambridge Police Department is committed to ensure that in 1999 this slight increase does not turn into a major one. The Department has set as one of its goals to develop and prioritize new patrol and investigative strategies to address the crimes of street robbery, residential burglary ("housebreaks"), commercial burglary, and larcenies from motor vehicles.
The Police Department is also implementing new strategies to optimize our successful "Park & Walk" program, and to reinforce the vital link between crime analysis and uniformed operations and investigations. Analysis of crime incidents and calls for service is being integrated with direct input of street supervisors, patrol officers, and community members.
As always, the Department plans to continue and enhance our commitment to making crime information available to the citizens of Cambridge: Our web site (http://www.ci.cambridge.ma.us/~CPD) provides timely information on current crime problems and other relevant information, while our scheduled community meetings give Cambridge residents a forum to discuss their crime and safety concerns.
The 1998 Annual Crime Report is one of many resources the Cambridge Police Department provides to the citizens of Cambridge. In these pages, you will find detailed, relevant information-not just statistics-on crime issues affecting the city. We believe that we are in the top percentile of police departments in the nation in the quantity and quality of information that we provide to the public on a regular basis, and our Crime Reports have consequently won awards and accolades from international organizations. Behind this report is a firm policy of ensuring that the Cambridge community is a well-informed partner of the Cambridge Police Department and its efforts.
Sincerely,
Ronnie Watson
Police Commissioner