Crime in Cambridge at Lowest Level Since 1963

 

Cambridge Police Release 2011 Crime Snapshot Showing Historic Drop in Serious Crime

 

 After historic lows were recorded in 2009 and 2010, serious crime in Cambridge fell in 2011 to its lowest level since 1963.

 

A detailed analysis of all statistics shows declines in both property and violent crime, with the most positive trend of the year being a 20% decrease in street robberies. This decrease in street robberies translates to a 50-year low for this violent crime type.

“We’re tremendously proud of this historic reduction in crime,” said Cambridge Police Commissioner Robert C. Haas. “The men and women of the Cambridge Police Department are extremely professional and hardworking, and it is their daily efforts which have had such a positive effect on crime. These efforts, couple with our strong community partnerships and commitment to allocate our resources based on data and analysis, are what have succeeded in making Cambridge a safer and more welcoming place for all who live, work, and visit this City.”

While two domestic altercations led to an increase in homicides in 2011, 27 of the 33 murders in Cambridge since 1995 have been cleared by arrest or by suicide of the perpetrator, which translates to an 82% clearance rate over that 17 year period. For comparison, the clearance rate for homicides was 65% nationally and 50% in New England in 2010.

The complete 2011 Cambridge Crime Snapshot can be found online at http://www.cambridgema.gov/cpd/newsandalerts/Archives/2012/02/2011crimesnapshot.aspx.

A more detailed analysis of the patterns and trends associated with the Part I Index Crime statistics in Cambridge for 2011 will be furnished in a comprehensive report to be released online at www.CambridgePolice.org this spring.