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Property Crime Decline in Anderson, Missouri: A Decade of Improvement
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
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Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Anderson, Missouri, presents an intriguing case study in property crime trends. From 2011 to 2018, the city experienced a significant overall decrease in property crimes, dropping from 83 incidents in 2011 to 50 in 2018, representing a 39.8% reduction. This decline occurred despite a slight population increase from 4,018 in 2011 to 3,726 in 2018, suggesting improvements in local crime prevention efforts.
Burglary rates in the city showed a notable downward trend over the analyzed period. In 2011, there were 26 burglaries, which decreased to just 9 in 2018, marking a 65.4% reduction. When adjusted for population, the burglary rate fell from 6.47 per 1,000 residents in 2011 to 2.42 per 1,000 in 2018. The city's share of state burglaries also decreased from 0.08% in 2011 to 0.05% in 2018, indicating that local burglary rates improved relative to the state average. This significant reduction suggests enhanced home security measures or more effective law enforcement strategies targeting burglaries.
Larceny-theft, the most common property crime in the city, also saw a substantial decrease. Incidents dropped from 56 in 2011 to 36 in 2018, a 35.7% reduction. The rate per 1,000 residents decreased from 13.94 in 2011 to 9.66 in 2018. The city's share of state larceny-thefts remained relatively stable, moving from 0.05% in 2011 to 0.04% in 2018. This trend indicates a general improvement in preventing petty theft and shoplifting, possibly through increased community awareness or improved security measures in local businesses.
Motor vehicle theft trends showed more volatility but ultimately decreased. In 2011, there was only 1 reported case, which increased to 9 in 2015 and 2016 before dropping to 5 in 2018. Despite this fluctuation, the overall trend shows an increase from 0.25 per 1,000 residents in 2011 to 1.34 per 1,000 in 2018. The city's share of state motor vehicle thefts increased from 0.01% in 2011 to 0.03% in 2018, suggesting that this crime type became relatively more prevalent in the city compared to state averages.
Arson cases were rare, with only one reported incident in 2013 and another in 2015. This sporadic occurrence makes it difficult to establish a clear trend, but it's worth noting that the city's share of state arsons was 0.13% in 2013 and 0.12% in 2015 when incidents occurred.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a moderate inverse relationship between property crime rates and median income. As median income increased from $44,102 in 2013 to $45,191 in 2018, total property crimes decreased from 105 to 50. This suggests that improving economic conditions may contribute to reduced property crime rates.
Applying predictive models based on the observed trends, it's projected that by 2029, Anderson could see further reductions in overall property crime rates. Burglaries might decrease to around 3-5 incidents annually, while larceny-theft could potentially drop to 25-30 cases per year. Motor vehicle thefts are expected to stabilize at 4-6 incidents annually. However, these predictions assume continuing trends and stable socio-economic conditions.
In summary, Anderson has demonstrated significant improvements in property crime rates, particularly in burglary and larceny-theft. The consistent downward trend in these crime categories, coupled with the city's economic growth, suggests effective crime prevention strategies and an improving quality of life for residents. While motor vehicle thefts showed some fluctuation, the overall property crime landscape in Anderson appears to be moving in a positive direction, with promising forecasts for the near future.
