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Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Red Boiling Springs, Tennessee, presents an intriguing case study in property crime trends over the past decade. From 2010 to 2020, the total number of property crimes fluctuated significantly, peaking at 45 incidents in 2014 and dropping to a low of 4 in 2020, representing a dramatic 91.1% decrease. This stark reduction in property crime occurred against a backdrop of population decline, with the city's population falling from 3,532 in 2010 to 3,327 in 2020, a 5.8% decrease.
Burglary trends in the city have shown notable volatility. In 2010, there were 11 burglaries, which increased to 15 in 2014, before declining sharply to just 1 incident in 2020. This represents a 90.9% decrease over the decade. When adjusted for population, the burglary rate per 1,000 residents fell from 3.11 in 2010 to 0.30 in 2020. The city's share of state burglaries fluctuated, peaking at 0.05% in 2014 and 2017, before dropping to 0.01% in 2020. This suggests that while burglary rates decreased overall, there were periods where the city experienced disproportionately high rates compared to the state average.
Larceny-theft incidents also demonstrated significant variability. From 19 cases in 2010, the number rose to 27 in 2014, then plummeted to just 2 incidents in 2020, marking an 89.5% decrease over the decade. The larceny-theft rate per 1,000 residents decreased from 5.38 in 2010 to 0.60 in 2020. The city's contribution to state larceny-theft statistics remained relatively low, peaking at 0.03% in 2015 and 2019, indicating that larceny-theft was not a major concern relative to state levels.
Motor vehicle theft in the city has been sporadic, with some years reporting zero incidents and others showing a small number of thefts. The highest number recorded was 3 incidents in both 2014 and 2017. By 2020, there was 1 reported motor vehicle theft. The rate per 1,000 residents fluctuated accordingly, reaching a high of 1.12 in 2017 and settling at 0.30 in 2020. The city's share of state motor vehicle thefts remained minimal, never exceeding 0.03% throughout the decade.
Arson cases were extremely rare in the city, with only one reported incident in 2015. This single case represented 0.17% of state arson cases for that year. The arson rate per 1,000 residents was 0.37 in 2015, an anomaly in an otherwise arson-free decade.
Examining correlations between property crime trends and demographic factors reveals some interesting patterns. The sharp decline in property crimes from 2014 to 2020 coincided with a period of decreasing median income, which fell from $29,356 in 2014 to $31,290 in 2020. This suggests that the reduction in property crimes was not directly linked to improving economic conditions. However, the percentage of owner-occupied housing increased from 0.70 in 2014 to 0.72 in 2020, which may have contributed to the reduction in property crimes, as homeownership is often associated with increased community stability and vigilance.
Applying predictive models to forecast property crime trends for the next five years (up to 2029) suggests a potential stabilization or slight increase in property crime rates. Based on the cyclical nature of the historical data and the recent uptick in population, we might expect to see property crimes rise modestly from the 2020 low of 4 incidents to perhaps 10-15 annual incidents by 2029. However, this projection assumes that other factors remain relatively constant and should be interpreted cautiously.
In conclusion, Red Boiling Springs has experienced a remarkable decline in property crimes over the past decade, particularly from 2014 to 2020. This reduction occurred despite economic challenges, suggesting that other factors, such as increased homeownership and community engagement, may have played a significant role in improving public safety. As the city moves forward, maintaining these positive trends while addressing ongoing economic concerns will be crucial for sustaining the progress made in reducing property crime rates.