Overall Crime Rate Drops by 22% in Valparaiso
The Valparaiso Police Department has released their yearly crime statistics for last year 2013. Overall the department experienced a decrease in the field of major or Part l crime statistics from 2012. Major crime statistics, which are defined by the U.S. Department of Justice through the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR), major crimes or Part l Offenses, are defined as Homicides, Rapes, Robbery, Aggravated Assault, Burglary, Larceny/Theft, Motor Vehicle Theft and Arson.
The Valparaiso Police Department’s crime rate dropped by 22% compared to 2012. In 2012, the crime rate had dropped 14% from the 2011 statistics. In 2013 the department had 675 major offenses compared to 871 major offenses in 2012. A major element of the decrease was the drop in thefts/larcenies and burglaries within the city. In 2012 a total of 645 thefts were reported and in 2013 the number was reduced to 530 thefts, a decrease of 115 incidents. The department also recorded a reduction in burglary reports with 68 less burglaries reported in 2013 compared to 2012. The department responded to 29,327 calls for service in 2013 an increase of 866 calls to service from 2012.
In 2013 the top crash intersections in the city included Laporte/State Road 49 with 67 crashes and Morthland Ave and Washington St. with 51 crashes. The department recorded a total of 1,825 vehicle crashes in 2013.