BPD stats: a 4 percent decline in Part One crime; murders up

A significant decrease in burglaries and assaults is driving an overall 4 percent drop in crime in the city of Boston this year compared to the same 10-month period in 2019, according to statistics released by the Boston Police Department this week.

The number of homicides, however, have shot up from 34 to 50, according to the summary of ‘Part One’ crime categories through Nov. 1.

Area B-3, the police district that covers Mattapan and parts of Dorchester along the Blue Hill Avenue corridor, has seen the biggest jump in murders— from 11 last year to 20 in 2020 so far. Area C-11— which includes much of Dorchester east of Washington Street and south of Columbia Road in its boundaries— has recorded 10 murders, up from 5 in 2019.

Both B-3 and C-11 have recorded less crime in other categories, however, driving a 3 percent and 5 percent drop in Part One reports respectively.
Reports of residential burglaries have seen the largest decline from year to year, a possible by-product of the Covid-19 “work from home” dynamic.
In 2019, there were 1,094 house break-ins, as opposed to 907 in 2020 to date.

Shootings citywide have gone up significantly. There were 144 total incidents reported through Nov. 1 in 2019 with 176 victims, according to the police data. In 2020, there have been 201 incidents over the first ten months of the year, with 236 victims— a big jump above the five- year average of 192. Boston Police have also seized more guns in 2020 compared to last year: 364-346.


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