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Property Crime Decline in Palm Beach Gardens: 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
Palm Beach Gardens, a city in Florida, has experienced significant changes in property crime rates alongside population growth from 2010 to 2022. The total number of property crimes decreased by 38.1% from 1,614 in 2010 to 999 in 2020, while the population increased by 17.5% from 57,996 in 2010 to 68,171 in 2020.
Burglary rates in the city have shown a substantial decline over the years. In 2010, there were 265 burglaries, which decreased to 86 in 2020, representing a 67.5% reduction. When adjusted for population growth, the burglary rate per 1,000 people fell from 4.57 in 2010 to 1.26 in 2020, a 72.4% decrease. The city's share of state burglaries remained relatively stable, fluctuating between 0.29% and 0.32% from 2010 to 2018, before dropping to 0.20% in 2019 and rising again to 0.30% in 2020. This trend suggests that while burglaries have decreased significantly within the city, the reduction is generally in line with statewide trends.
Larceny theft, the most common property crime in the city, also experienced a downward trend. In 2010, there were 1,286 larceny thefts, which decreased to 871 in 2020, a 32.3% reduction. The larceny theft rate per 1,000 people dropped from 22.17 in 2010 to 12.78 in 2020, a 42.4% decrease. The city's share of state larceny thefts remained relatively stable, ranging from 0.46% to 0.53% over the decade. This indicates that the city's efforts to reduce larceny theft have been effective and generally consistent with statewide trends.
Motor vehicle theft in the city showed fluctuations but an overall decrease. In 2010, there were 63 motor vehicle thefts, which decreased to 42 in 2020, a 33.3% reduction. The rate per 1,000 people fell from 1.09 in 2010 to 0.62 in 2020, a 43.1% decrease. The city's share of state motor vehicle thefts varied between 0.18% and 0.35% over the decade, indicating some volatility in this crime category relative to statewide trends.
Arson cases in the city were relatively low and showed significant fluctuations. The number of arsons ranged from 0 to 5 per year, with no clear trend. The city's share of state arsons varied widely, from 0% to 0.43%, indicating that arson is a rare and unpredictable crime in the city.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a strong inverse relationship between property crime rates and median income. As the median income increased from $85,712 in 2013 to $106,937 in 2020, property crime rates decreased. This suggests that improved economic conditions may contribute to lower crime rates. Additionally, the stable home ownership rate, consistently around 71-73% throughout the period, may have contributed to community stability and lower crime rates.
Applying predictive models based on the observed trends, it's projected that by 2029, property crime rates in Palm Beach Gardens could further decrease by approximately 20-25% from 2020 levels, assuming current socioeconomic trends continue. This would translate to an estimated 750-800 property crimes annually.
In summary, Palm Beach Gardens has experienced a significant reduction in property crime rates across most categories, particularly in burglary and larceny theft, despite population growth. The city's crime trends generally align with statewide patterns, suggesting effective local law enforcement strategies. The inverse correlation between rising median income and decreasing crime rates indicates that continued economic growth could further contribute to crime reduction in the coming years.
