Some Surprises in Over-all Look at Capitol Hill Crime Stats for Past Nine Years

 

Some Surprises in Over-all Look at Capitol Hill’s PSA 107/108 Crime Stats for Past Nine Years

by Larry Janezich

A look at the year-by-year October to October crime statistics for PSAs 107 and 108 which encompass the area from 2nd Street east of the Capitol Building to RFK lying on each side of East Capitol for the past nine years shows some surprising results:

Homicides are rare, but occur with nearly equal frequency in PSA 107 and PSA 108.

Sex abuse crimes occur more frequently in PSA108 and are trending upward there.  (Sex abuse is broadly defined to cover incidences of inappropriate touching.)

Robberies where no gun is involved occur more frequently in PSA 107 – likely owing to the commercial corridors along Pennsylvania Avenue, Barracks Row, and near Eastern Market.

Robberies with guns occur with nearly equal frequency in PSA 107 and PSA 108.

Assaults without a gun are far more frequent in PSA 108, possibly owing to disputes between students at or near Eastern High School as well as domestic violence in the primarily residential area.

Assaults with a gun occur rarely, but twice as frequently in PSA 108.

During the period examined, PSA 107 has had about 17% fewer violent crime than PSA 108

Burglaries occur at similar rates in the two PSAs – PSA 107 has had about 9% more, but burglaries are trending downward in both PSAs.

Far more opportunity crimes – thefts and thefts from autos – occur in PSA 107.  Thefts include packages, bikes, clothing, and phones – again, likely owing to the commercial corridors.

A lot of autos are stolen and they occur at nearly the same frequency in both PSAs.

Arson is rare and – during the period examined – occurred exclusively in PSA 108.

In the past nine years, PSA 107 has had about 36% more property crime than PSA 108.

Drug crimes – which don’t show up in statistics until an arrests is made – are not tracked on the MPD Crime maps.  MPD’s Public Information Office occasionally issues an activity report whenever the Narcotic Enforcement Unit, Gun Recovery Unit, and Criminal Interdiction Unit announce recent arrests in the District.

The MPD Crime Map website where crimes reported to MPD can be tracked according to a variety of geographic criteria is here:  http://crimemap.dc.gov/