Gastonia week in crime: Theft continues to trend up

Gastonia week in crime: Theft continues to trend upPhoto: iStock
Hoodline
Published on February 07, 2019

Crime incidents in Gastonia saw an overall increase last week, for the second week in a row, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents rose to 155 for the week of Jan. 28, up from 119 the week before.

The offenses that increased the most were theft and vandalism. Theft rose to 66 incidents last week, from 50 the week before. Vandalism went from four to 12. Reports of theft have continued to grow for the last two weeks.

While a somewhat smaller category, there was also a sizable percentage increase in burglary, from five incidents per week to 11.

There were two reported robbery incidents last week. That represents a steady state from the previous week.

Among the few types of offenses that saw a downturn last week, reports of assault went from 22 to 18.

There were 46 reports of "other" crimes, an increase of 11 from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations. Of those incidents, 33 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, up from 19 reported arrests the week before.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Fridays, Wednesdays and Saturdays saw the most crime incidents last week. The largest increase from the previous week occurred on Fridays, Saturdays and Mondays, while incidents on Tuesdays, Sundays and Thursdays went down. Late morning, midday and early afternoon saw the most crime last week.

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.