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Fluctuating Violent Crime Trends in Whiteville, NC: A Decade of Change
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
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Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Whiteville, located in North Carolina, presents an interesting case study in violent crime trends over the past decade. From 2011 to 2022, the total number of violent crimes fluctuated, with notable changes in specific categories. The population of Whiteville has remained relatively stable, decreasing slightly from 9,949 in 2011 to 9,883 in 2022, a 0.66% decline.
In terms of murder trends, Whiteville has experienced fluctuations over the years. In 2011, there was 1 murder, representing 0.34% of the state's total. This number remained consistent in 2012 and 2014 but increased to 2 in 2013 and 2019, and peaked at 4 in 2017, accounting for 1.13% of the state's murders that year. By 2022, the murder rate returned to 1, representing 0.17% of the state's total. When considering population trends, the murder rate per 1,000 people increased from 0.10 in 2011 to 0.38 in 2017, before decreasing to 0.10 in 2022. This fluctuation suggests periods of heightened violence followed by improvements in public safety measures.
Rape statistics for Whiteville are limited, with data available only for certain years. In 2011, there were 2 reported rapes, representing 0.17% of the state's total. This number decreased to 1 in 2012 (0.08% of state total) but increased to 5 in 2021 (0.27% of state total) before decreasing to 3 in 2022 (0.16% of state total). The rape rate per 1,000 people increased from 0.20 in 2011 to 0.48 in 2021, then decreased to 0.30 in 2022. These fluctuations indicate a need for continued focus on sexual violence prevention in the city.
Robbery trends in Whiteville show a general decline over the years. In 2011, there were 15 robberies, representing 0.21% of the state's total. This number peaked at 27 in 2013 (0.40% of state total) but has since decreased significantly to just 2 robberies in 2022, accounting for only 0.04% of the state's total. The robbery rate per 1,000 people decreased from 1.51 in 2011 to 0.20 in 2022, indicating a substantial improvement in this area of violent crime.
Aggravated assault trends have shown more variability. In 2011, there were 34 aggravated assaults, representing 0.26% of the state's total. This number peaked at 68 in 2013 (0.52% of state total) and remained relatively high in subsequent years. By 2022, there were 41 aggravated assaults, accounting for 0.17% of the state's total. The aggravated assault rate per 1,000 people increased from 3.42 in 2011 to 4.15 in 2022, suggesting this remains a persistent issue for the city.
Examining correlations between violent crime trends and other factors reveals some interesting patterns. There appears to be a moderate correlation between the increase in median rent (from $579 in 2019 to $777 in 2022) and the decrease in overall violent crime during the same period. Additionally, the slight increase in racial diversity, particularly the growth of the Hispanic population from 1% in 2018 to 4% in 2022, coincides with changes in certain crime categories, though a direct causal relationship cannot be established without further study.
Applying predictive models to forecast violent crime trends for the next five years (up to 2029) suggests a potential stabilization of murder rates around 1-2 per year, a slight increase in reported rapes to potentially 4-5 per year, a continued low rate of robberies at 2-3 per year, and a possible slight decrease in aggravated assaults to around 35-40 per year.
In summary, Whiteville has experienced varied trends across different violent crime categories over the past decade. While some areas like robbery have shown significant improvement, others like aggravated assault remain a concern. The relationship between demographic changes, economic factors, and crime rates provides valuable insights for local policymakers. As Whiteville moves forward, targeted interventions based on these trends could help further reduce violent crime and enhance public safety for its residents.
