Overall crime in Durham was down 2 percent in 2010 from its 2009 rate, and down 31 percent from nine years ago, Police Chief Jose L. Lopez reported Monday night.
Giving his annual report to the city council (link below), Lopez said the 2010 crime rate was 5,719 per 100,000 residents, whereas the 2001 rate was 8,332 per 100,000 people.
Lopez also reported "additional good news" on the department's three-year "Bull's Eye" project in a high-crime section of East Durham. There, he said, violent crime involving firearms was down 57 percent from 2007 through 2010, and police calls regarding drug activity was down 38 percent.
Bull's Eye targeted a two-square mile area that had accounted for more than 20 percent of drug and prostitution arrests although it comprised just 2 percent of the city area.
Violent crime was up 2 percent in 2010 over the previous year, led by an increase in homicides from 21 to 25. Aggravated assault was up from 801 to 877 incidents, while the number of reported rapes was unchanged, 67 in each year, and robberies down from 716 to 666.
That increase was offset by a 2 percent drop in burglary, larceny and vehicle theft, from 11,711 incidents to 11,452. Combined violent and property crimes fell from 13,316 in 2009 to 13,087 last year.
Comments
These are definitely good
Thu, 08/09/2012 - 18:52 — EmiliaSuderThese are definitely good news but they have to be compared to the national average - which is very close in terms of average decine of crime rates. To me, the only way I'll believe that law enforcement is making progress is when I start seeing the home security signs disappear from my neighbors' yards. People are afraid... Even though a home alarm doesn't cost that much ( http://www.homealarmsystems.com/ says about thirty a month) imagine how much these private security companies are making by collecting protection money. That's exactly what they are doing - mafia style! "All your neighbors have our yard sign and you don't, guess who's getting robbed next!"