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Property Crime Trends in Uniontown, Alabama: A Tale of Declining Population and Rising Incidents
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
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Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Uniontown, Alabama, a small town with a rich history, has experienced notable shifts in property crime rates and population dynamics over recent years. From 2015 to 2018, the total number of property crimes increased by 42.86%, rising from 42 to 60 incidents. During this same period, the population decreased by 26.42%, from 3,251 to 2,392 residents, indicating a significant change in the town's demographic landscape.
Burglary trends in the city show a fluctuating pattern. In 2015, there were 12 burglaries, which increased to 26 in 2017, before dropping to 14 in 2018. When considering the population changes, the burglary rate per 1,000 people rose from 3.69 in 2015 to 10.23 in 2017, then decreased to 5.85 in 2018. The city's share of state burglaries increased dramatically from 0.05% in 2015 to 0.14% in 2017, before declining to 0.08% in 2018. This volatility suggests a period of instability in property security within the community.
Larceny-theft incidents showed an upward trend, increasing from 22 cases in 2015 to 33 in 2018, a 50% rise. The rate per 1,000 residents grew from 6.77 in 2015 to 13.80 in 2018, indicating a significant increase in theft relative to the population. The city's contribution to state larceny-theft figures rose from 0.03% to 0.05% during this period, suggesting a growing problem compared to state averages.
Motor vehicle theft in the town exhibited a concerning upward trajectory. From 8 incidents in 2015, it increased to 13 in 2018, a 62.5% rise. The rate per 1,000 people escalated from 2.46 in 2015 to 5.43 in 2018. More alarmingly, the city's share of state motor vehicle thefts jumped from 0.11% to 0.16%, indicating that this crime type was growing faster in Uniontown than in many other parts of Alabama.
Regarding arson, no data was available for the years examined, making it impossible to analyze trends or draw conclusions about this specific crime category in Uniontown.
There appears to be a strong correlation between the declining population density and increasing property crime rates. As the population density decreased from 214 per square mile in 2015 to 157 in 2018, overall property crime incidents increased. This suggests that the reduced population may have led to fewer eyes on the street and potentially less community vigilance, creating more opportunities for property crimes.
Applying predictive models to forecast property crime trends, it's projected that by 2029, Uniontown may see a further increase in property crimes if current trends continue. The rate of larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft are likely to show the most significant increases, potentially reaching 45 and 20 incidents per year, respectively. Burglary rates may stabilize or slightly decrease to around 12 incidents annually.
In summary, Uniontown has faced challenging trends in property crime, particularly in larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft, against a backdrop of declining population. The disproportionate increase in the town's share of state crime figures for these categories is particularly concerning. These trends underscore the need for targeted crime prevention strategies and community engagement initiatives to address the rising property crime rates in this small Alabama town.
