The number of reported crimes in St. Petersburg saw an overall decrease last week, after a previous rise, according to data from SpotCrime, which collects reports from police agencies and validated sources. The number of reported incidents fell to 734 for the week of Oct. 7, down from 906 the week before.
The specific offenses that decreased the most were assault and theft. The number of reported assaults fell to 72 last week, down from 109 the week before. The number of reported thefts went from 231 to 199, and the number of theft reports has continued to fall for the last two weeks.
There was also a notable percentage decrease in the number of robbery reports, down from 12 incidents per week to eight, and in the number of burglary reports, down from 38 to 31 incidents.
There were 25 reported vandalism incidents last week, a decrease from 30 incidents the previous week.
Among the few types of reported offenses that saw an uptick last week, shootings rose from three to six.
There were 392 reports of "other" crimes, a decrease of 91 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, 135 involved arrests, such as for drug possession, down from 151 reported arrests the week before.
Looking at crime patterns in different areas of the city, Downtown, Methodist Town and Childs Park had the most reported incidents last week. Downtown and Methodist Town were at the top of the list the previous week as well.
Crime in Central Oak Park decreased the most. The number of crime reports in Disston Heights also fell, after increasing the week before, and the number of reported incidents in Methodist Town are down considerably as well.
Regarding when crime most often occurs, Thursday, Tuesday and Friday saw the most crime reports last week. The largest decreases from the previous week occurred on Wednesday, Monday and Friday, while the number of reported incidents on Thursday and Sunday went up. Comparing times of day, early afternoon, late morning and late afternoon 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.
