Gastonia crime declines; theft drops, arson rises

Gastonia crime declines; theft drops, arson risesPhoto: iStock
Hoodline
Published on February 06, 2019

Crime reports in Gastonia saw an overall decrease last month, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources.

Incidents fell by about 21 percent, from 668 in December to 523 in January. Crime levels tend to follow seasonal patterns, and some of the most common offenses tend to decline in winter, which might partly explain the most recent downward trend.

The month-to-month decrease in incidents was led by theft and assault. Theft fell from 286 reported incidents in December to 215 in January. Assault incidents went from 145 to 84 for the month, or about a 42 percent decrease.

There were 27 burglary reports last month, and two shooting incidents. Burglary incidents dropped from 29 offenses the previous month, while shooting reports decreased by one incident.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last month, arson reports went from one to two.

Wednesdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays saw the most crime incidents last month. The largest decrease from the previous month occurred on Sundays, Mondays and Saturdays, while incidents on Thursdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays went up. Midday, early afternoon and late afternoon saw the most crime last month on average each day.

To report a crime in progress or life-threatening emergency, call 911. To report a non-urgent crime or complaint, contact your local police department.

Head to SpotCrime to get free local crime alerts in your area.

This story was created automatically using local crime data, then reviewed by an editor. Click here for more about our data sources and local crime methodology. Got thoughts about what we're doing? Go here to share your feedback.