Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home’s crime rate did not change much from 2012 to 2013, decreasing by 2.3 crimes per 1,000 population, according to the annual FBI Uniform Crime Reports released at the end of the month.
Violent crime went down, which is always a good thing,” said Police Chief Jeff Lynn. “I’m happy to see the violent crime rate down. Property crime is really, in essence, consistent with last year. Some of these, we really need to look at and tackle.”
Sweet Home had a total of 511 crimes reportable to the FBI in 2013, 10 of them violent crimes and 501 property crimes.
Violent crimes include reports of murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes include burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Based on a population of 9,035, that’s a rate of 56.6 crimes per 1,000 population, 1.1 violent crimes per 1,000 and 55.5 property crimes per 1,000.
In 2012, Sweet Home, whose population is listed at 9,099, had 27 violent crimes and 499 property crimes, – a crime rate of 57.8 crimes per 1,000 population.
Lebanon had 30 violent crimes and 701 property crimes in a population of 15,810, a crime rate of 46.2 per 1,000 population, 1.9 violent crimes per 1,000 and 44.3 property crimes per 1,000 – a decrease from 48.4 in 2012.
Albany had 40 violent crimes and 2,019 property crimes in a population of 51,645, a crime rate of 39.9 crimes per 1,000 population, .8 violent crimes per 1,000 and 39 property crimes per 1,000 – an increase from 31.8 in 2012.
Around the state in 2013, Salem had a crime rate of 46.1 per 1,000 population. Portland had a rate of 53.5 per 1,000, including a violent crime rate of 4.8 per 1,000. Springfield saw 54.9 crimes per 1,000, and Eugene had a rate of 52.5 per 1,000.
The national rate is 32.6 per 1,000, and statewide the rate is 34.9 per 1,000.
In Sweet Home, the reported crimes included no murders in 2013, one rape, four robberies, five aggravated assaults, 82 burglaries, 398 thefts, 21 motor vehicle thefts and no arson.
Sweet Home was down a little in every area but thefts, which went up by 20, Lynn said.
Information about 2014 has yet to be compiled, Lynn said, but it appears call loads are up in 2014. Sweet Home Police Department officials will compile 2014 numbers in the first couple of months of the new year for the city’s annual report.
The FBI reports are generally released late in the year.