Washington week in crime: Theft drops, burglary creeps up

Washington week in crime: Theft drops, burglary creeps upPhoto: iStock
Hoodline
Published on February 21, 2019

The number of crime incidents in Washington saw an overall decrease last week, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 555 for the week of February 11, down from 636 the week before.

Theft and assault led the decrease in crime incidents. Theft fell to 445 incidents last week, from 499 the week before. Assault went from 55 to 33.

There were four reported shooting incidents last week. That represents a decrease from 10 incidents the previous week. There were also 34 incidents of robbery, down from 43 the week before.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last week, reports of burglary went from 23 to 28.

There were 11 reports of "other" crimes, an increase of six from the previous week. SpotCrime's broad "other" category includes a variety of offenses like fraud, trespassing, public disturbance and traffic violations.

As far as where crime is concentrated in the city, Anacostia, Capitol Hill, and Brookland had the most reported incidents last week. Anacostia and Capitol Hill were at the top of the list the previous week as well.

However, Capitol Hill saw the largest decline. Crime reports in Anacostia also fell, after increasing the week before, and incidents in Columbia Heights are down considerably as well.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Thursdays, Fridays and Tuesdays witnessed the most reported crimes last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Fridays, Mondays and Sundays, while incidents on Thursdays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays went up. Comparing times of day, after midnight, late afternoon, and evening continue to see the most crime incidents.

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.