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Property Crime Trends in Bessemer City: A Decade of Fluctuations and Economic Correlations
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Bessemer City, a small urban area in North Carolina, has experienced notable fluctuations in property crime rates over recent years. From 2014 to 2022, the total number of property crimes decreased by 39.2%, from 125 to 76 incidents. This reduction occurred alongside a slight population decline of 2.6%, from 9,958 to 10,226 residents during the same period.
Burglary trends in the city have shown significant variability. In 2014, there were 33 burglaries, which decreased to 18 in 2022, marking a 45.5% reduction. When adjusted for population, the burglary rate fell from 3.31 to 1.76 per 1,000 residents. Interestingly, despite this overall decrease, the city's share of state burglaries fluctuated, reaching a peak of 0.14% in 2016 before settling at 0.07% in 2022. This suggests that while local burglary rates have improved, the city's contribution to state-wide burglaries remains relatively small but variable.
Larceny-theft incidents also saw a substantial decline, dropping from 86 cases in 2014 to 46 in 2022, a 46.5% decrease. The rate per 1,000 residents fell from 8.64 to 4.50 over this period. The city's share of state larceny-thefts decreased from 0.07% to 0.04%, indicating a more significant improvement in this category compared to state trends.
Motor vehicle theft exhibited a contrary trend, increasing from 6 incidents in 2014 to 12 in 2022, a 100% rise. The rate per 1,000 residents grew from 0.60 to 1.17. More notably, the city's share of state motor vehicle thefts increased from 0.07% to 0.08%, suggesting a localized issue that diverges from broader state improvements.
Arson cases in the city have been sporadic and low in number. From 2014 to 2022, there were only four reported cases, with no consistent trend. The highest number was two cases in 2019, representing 0.29% of state arsons. The infrequency of these incidents makes it challenging to draw meaningful conclusions about arson trends in the city.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a moderate inverse relationship between median income and property crime rates. As median income increased from $31,996 in 2014 to $42,985 in 2022, overall property crime decreased. Additionally, there's a slight positive correlation between the percentage of Black residents (which increased from 12% to 15% between 2014 and 2018) and property crime rates during that period, though this correlation weakened in subsequent years.
Applying predictive models to forecast property crime trends for the next five years (up to 2029), we anticipate a continued gradual decrease in overall property crime rates. Burglary and larceny-theft are expected to maintain their downward trajectories, potentially reaching around 15 and 40 incidents respectively by 2029. However, motor vehicle theft may continue its upward trend, possibly reaching 18-20 incidents annually. Arson cases are likely to remain sporadic and low, with an average of 0-1 cases per year.
In summary, Bessemer City has shown overall improvement in property crime rates, particularly in burglary and larceny-theft. The rising trend in motor vehicle theft warrants attention from local law enforcement. The city's crime trends generally align with improving economic indicators, suggesting that continued focus on economic development could further enhance public safety outcomes.
