1998 Crime Statistics

A reversal of a trend, with the first recorded index crime increase since 1993. The total increase was less than one percent, with a six percent increase in violent crime and a less than one percent decrease in property crime.

Most notable:

street robbery up 23 percent due to an August–November spike;

housebreaks up 20 percent with numbers riding high all year; and

larcenies from motor vehicles up 14 percent after furious activity from August to November.

Going into the summer, none of these crimes were up significantly; housebreaks and larcenies from motor vehicles, in fact, were down. The late summer and early fall hurt the city badly.

Some good news to mitigate the bad:

Most of the crimes that increased from 1997 to 1998 did not go higher than they were in 1996 and previous years. 1997 was a historic low for most crimes; 1998 was a slight, not major, rebound.

Auto theft still showing historic lows, with a drop of 18 percent this year.

An amazing drop in bicycle theft (21%) along with an interesting trend shift from the street to residential areas.

Part I

Part II

Back to the 1998 Annual Report Index