Crime & Safety

Crime Rate Drops in 2013, Latest Crime Statistics Show

State police tallies show 20 percent drop in crimes so far in 2013.

The latest report of local crime shows an almost across-the-board declines in crimes reported in Hillsborough for the first nine months of 2013, compared to the same time period last year, with only a single incident of strong arm robbery marring the record.

The UCR, which compiles figures from Hillsborough and other local police departments for FBI crime statistics, shows year-to-date figures, as well as month-over-month. The latest report, issued Oct. 18, includes the tallies for September and the year's total for January to September, with comparisons to the same time period for 2012.

No strong arm robberies were reported in 2012, so the lone incident in 2013 proved the only category of crime tracked that increased between January and September.

Overall, the report shows a 20.1 percent drop in the number of incidents reported, with a corresponding 28 percent drop in the crime index, which tallies violent crimes (rape, robbery and assault) and non-violent crimes (burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft). Simple assault incidents are not included in the crime index.

The biggest area of change is in the theft category, with 156 incidents reported between January and September 2012, compared to 111 so far in 2013—a 28.8 percent drop.

The total figures in the report are below:

  • Rape: one reported in 2012; none in 2013;
  • Robbery: none reported in 2012; one in 2013;
  • Assault: five incidents reported in 2012 (two involving guns, three aggravated—hands, feet, etc); four incidents in 2013 (one involving a knife, two "other dangerous weapon," one aggravated);
  • Simple assault: 99 incidents in 2012; 97 in 2013;
  • Burglary: 58 in 2012 (31 forced entry, 17 unlawful entry, 10 attempted forced entry); 42 in 2013 (25 forced, 11 unlawful and six attempted);
  • Theft: 156 incidents reported in 2012; 111 in 2013;
  • Motor vehicle theft: five reported in 2012 (two autos, one truck or bus, two other vehicles); four reported in 2013 (two autos, one truck or bus, one other).  



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