The Boston Police Department released the third quarter crime stats for District E-13 and much like the first quarter report released back in May car breaks continue to be a problem in the area.
While Part One Crimes are down 15 percent when comparing January 1, 2019 through September 13, 2019 with the same time period this year, Domestic Aggravated Assault is up 73 percent and Larceny from Motor Vehicles is up 30 percent.
Part One Crimes are the more serious crimes the Boston Police track.
By the third quarter of 2019 there were only 26 Domestic Aggravated Assault but that number has increased to 45 so far this year.
“There is no excuse for domestic violence,” said the BPD in a statement. “With community members encouraged to stay home to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus, the Boston Police Department recognizes the impact that COVID-19 is having on families in our community and the fact that some may find themselves confined with an abuser. This isolation can mean danger for some members of our City. Make no mistake, you are not alone and no one deserves to be abused. To those in need of help, there are resources available to you. Please reach out if you, or someone you know, is in need of help or safety planning. In the case of an emergency, CALL 9-1-1.”
Police said residents can also contact Domersitc Violence organizations like the Asian Task Force Against Domestic Violence; Association of Haitian Women in Boston/ Asosiyasyon Fanm Ayisyen nan Boston (AFAB); Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC); Casa Myrna Vasquez; or the Massachusetts Alliance of Portuguese Speakers (MAPS).
By the third quarter of 2019 there were only 114 motor vehicle larcenies but that number has increased to 147 so far this year. It seems the number of motor vehicle largencies, an opportunistic crime that only takes seconds to pull off, is up all over Boston.
Citywide the number has gone from 1,891 in the third quarter of 2019 to 2,377 so far in 2020, a 25 percent increase.
“The Department obviously takes great pride in the fact that arrests were made in all three incidents, we would, nevertheless, like to take this opportunity to remind community members to employ common sense preventative measures to protect items of value when exiting their vehicles,” said the statement. “As simple as it may sound, protecting your motor vehicle from a break-in starts with locking the doors and closing windows. Simple? Yes. But, highly effective.”
In fact, simple steps can often spell the difference between your car being broken into and the would-be thief moving on to another, more desirable target.
“More than anything else, thieves look for the easy score,” said the police. “So, don’t make it easy. If you have items of value, be it a cell phone, charger, money or iPad, take them with you when you exit your car. Because if a thief can see it, you can be sure he or she will do everything they can to steal it.”
As for other Part One Crimes in Distrct E-13 there have been one reported Homicides for 2020, down from 3; Rape or Attemped Rape is is down from 7 to 5; Robbery or Attempted Robberty is up from 32 to 50; Non-Domestic Aggravated Assault is down from 80 to 53; Residential Burglaries are down from 84 to 24; Commercial Burglaries are up 11 to 14; other Larcencies are down from 266 to 193; and Auto Theft down from 29 to 24.
So far this year there has been a total of 664 Part One Crimes, down from the 562 reported by the third quarter of 2019.
Again, police are reminding residents that of the 117 additional reported Part One Crimes reported so far in 2020, 104 of those crimes have been traced back to motor vehicle larcenies.
As always, if you observe any unusual activity or observe a car theft or a break-in in progress, don’t hesitate to call 9-1-1.