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Property Crime Trends in Columbiana, Ohio: A Decade of Significant Decline
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
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Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Columbiana, located in Ohio, presents an interesting case study in property crime trends. From 2013 to 2022, the city experienced a significant decrease in total property crimes, dropping from 110 incidents to 21, representing an 80.9% reduction. This dramatic decline occurred against a backdrop of relatively stable population, which decreased slightly from 10,077 in 2013 to 10,077 in 2022, a marginal change of 0%.
Burglary rates in the city have shown a notable downward trend. In 2013, there were 14 burglaries, which decreased to just 2 in 2022, marking an 85.7% reduction. When adjusted for population, this translates to a decrease from 1.39 burglaries per 1,000 residents in 2013 to 0.20 per 1,000 in 2022. The city's share of state burglaries also declined from 0.03% in 2013 to 0.01% in 2022, indicating that the local reduction outpaced the state-wide trend. This substantial improvement in burglary rates suggests enhanced security measures or more effective law enforcement strategies within the community.
Larceny-theft, the most common property crime in the city, also saw a significant decline. Incidents dropped from 94 in 2013 to 18 in 2022, an 80.9% decrease. The rate per 1,000 residents fell from 9.33 in 2013 to 1.79 in 2022. The city's contribution to state larceny-theft figures decreased from 0.08% to 0.02% over the same period. This substantial reduction in larceny-theft could be attributed to improved community vigilance or successful crime prevention programs.
Motor vehicle theft in the city has remained relatively low throughout the period. From 2 incidents in 2013, it decreased to 1 in 2022, a 50% reduction. The rate per 1,000 residents changed from 0.20 in 2013 to 0.10 in 2022. The city's share of state motor vehicle thefts fluctuated but remained low, ranging from 0.02% to 0% over the years. This low and decreasing rate of motor vehicle theft suggests effective deterrence measures or possibly a limited target pool for this type of crime in the area.
Arson cases in the city have been sporadic and infrequent. The data shows no arsons in most years, with isolated incidents in 2016 (2 cases) and 2019 (1 case). Given the rarity of these events, it's difficult to establish a clear trend or make meaningful comparisons to state-wide figures. The sporadic nature of arson in the city suggests these may be isolated incidents rather than part of a broader pattern.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a strong inverse relationship between property crime rates and median income. As median income increased from $46,690 in 2013 to $53,492 in 2022, property crimes decreased substantially. This suggests that improving economic conditions may have contributed to the reduction in property crimes.
Applying predictive models based on the observed trends, it's reasonable to forecast that property crime rates in Columbiana will continue to decline or stabilize at low levels over the next five years (up to 2029). If current trends persist, we might expect to see total property crimes potentially dropping below 20 incidents per year, with burglaries and motor vehicle thefts potentially becoming rare occurrences.
In summary, Columbiana has demonstrated a remarkable improvement in its property crime situation over the past decade. The significant reductions across all categories of property crime, particularly in the context of a stable population, suggest effective crime prevention strategies and possibly improved socioeconomic conditions. These trends, if maintained, position the city as an increasingly safe community with property crime rates well below its historical levels.
