Washington, D.C./ Crime & Emergencies
Published on March 14, 2019
Washington crime recap: Theft drops, robbery risesPhoto: iStock

The number of crime incidents in Washington saw an overall decrease last week, for the fourth week in a row, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects data from police agencies and validated sources. Incidents fell to 480 for the week of March 4, down from 517 the week before.

The specific offense that decreased the most was theft, which fell to 392 incidents last week, from 448 the week before.

There were three reported shooting incidents last week. That represents a steady state from the previous week.

Among the few types of offenses that saw an uptick last week, reports of robbery went from 19 to 30. Incidents of assault rose from 22 to 29, and burglary went up from 16 to 19.

There were seven reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of two 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, one involved an arrest, up from zero reported arrests the week before.

As far as where in the city crime is concentrated, Anacostia, Capitol Hill and Catholic University-Brookland continued to have the most reported incidents last week.

Southwest saw the largest decline. Crime reports in Logan Circle also fell, after increasing the week before, and incidents in Eckington are down considerably as well.

Regarding when crime most often occurs, Monday, Wednesday and Thursday witnessed the most reported crimes last week. The largest decrease from the previous week occurred on Tuesday, Sunday and Saturday, while incidents on Monday, Wednesday and Friday went up. Comparing times of day, after midnight, early morning and evening 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.

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