Violent crime down in state
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By Josh O'Gorman STAFF WRITER - Published: June 12, 2009
Violent crime declined across the state in 2008 while property crimes rose compared to the year before, according to a report released Thursday by the Department of Public Safety.
[Search the database online at www.rutlandherald.com/2008vtcrime ]
According to the 2008 Vermont Crime Report, issued by the Crime Information Center, the decline in violent crime is due to a drop in sex crimes and simple assaults. Forcible sex crimes decreased 22 percent, from 256 to 197, and nonforcible sex crimes dropped from 49 to 25. Simple assaults declined about 10 percent, from 2,566 to 2,313.
"The reduction in violent crime was not unexpected because it mirrors what is happening in the Northeast and nationwide," said Max Schlueter, director of the Crime Information Center.
While violent crime numbers were down overall, there was a rise in some of the more serious categories, including an increase in murders from 12 to 17, an 11 percent increase in robberies and a 10 percent increase in aggravated assaults.
The 4 percent increase in property crimes is driven by an increase in burglaries — which rose 11 percent — and a 10 percent increase in thefts. The reason property crime is rising depends upon who you ask.
"We've heard anecdotally it might be related to the economy," Schlueter said, noting a 13 percent increase in shoplifting and a 30 percent increase in theft from vehicles.
Rutland City Detective Sgt. Kevin Stevens attributes the rise of property crimes to a number of factors.
Rutland saw a 17.6 percent increase in property crimes, from 1,223 in 2007 to 1,438 in 2008. During that same time, larcenies rose nearly 15 percent, from 713 to 819, and burglaries rose 31 percent, from 115 to 151.
Stevens pointed to rising unemployment, an influx of transients to the city and drug abuse — especially prescription pill abuse — as the main drivers of the increase in property crime.
"The burglaries we're seeing, people aren't stealing televisions anymore. We're seeing burglaries where the only thing stolen are the pharmaceuticals," Stevens said. "This kind of abuse is high right now and people don't see it."
While drugs might be driving the property crimes, the number of drug arrests in Rutland declined about 11 percent in 2008, from 175 to 156.
Rutland led the county with the total number of crimes, 1,802, and the crime rate, with about 107 crimes for every 1,000 people. Rutland's total crime rate rose about 12 percent.
Bennington led its county with 1,062 crimes in 2008, nearly identical to the 1,065 crimes reported the year before.
Springfield led Windsor County in crime with 623 crimes in 2008, but like Bennington the town saw a slight decline from the 630 crimes reported in 2007.
Middlebury led Addison County with 401 crimes, a 5.5 percent increase from the 380 crimes reported in 2007. Brattleboro saw more crimes in 2008 than any other town in Windham County with 796, but that number represents a decline of nearly 18 percent compared to the 969 crimes reported the year before.
Both Schlueter and Stevens agree that many of the property crimes have occurred from vehicles and homes left unlocked or of property left unsecured.
"What people need to be aware of is how many of these crimes could be prevented if they just locked their cars and their homes," Schlueter said.
"The days of leaving your house unlocked with the windows open, those days are gone," Stevens said. "You have to take some responsibility to protect yourself."
josh.ogorman@rutlandherald.com
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