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Property Crime Trends in Walls, Mississippi: Small City Faces Big Challenges
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
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Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Walls, Mississippi, a small community with a population of 4,012 as of 2022, experienced a notable increase in property crime in 2020. The city reported a total of 26 property crime incidents that year, marking a significant change in its crime landscape. This shift occurred alongside a population growth from 3,628 in 2019 to 3,900.5 in 2020, representing an increase of approximately 7.5%.
Burglary trends in Walls showed a concerning figure of 5 incidents in 2020, equating to a rate of approximately 1.28 burglaries per 1,000 residents. This number represented 0.14% of the state's total burglaries, a relatively high proportion given the city's small size. The burglary rate per capita is notable, suggesting a need for increased vigilance in property security within the community.
Larceny-theft emerged as the most prevalent property crime in Walls during 2020, with 15 reported cases. This translates to a rate of about 3.85 thefts per 1,000 residents. Despite being the most common property crime locally, larceny-theft in Walls only accounted for 0.1% of the state's total, indicating that while it's a local concern, it's less pronounced on a state level compared to other crimes like motor vehicle theft.
Motor vehicle theft showed a disproportionately high incidence relative to the city's size. With 6 reported cases in 2020, the rate was approximately 1.54 thefts per 1,000 residents. More strikingly, these incidents accounted for 0.42% of the state's total motor vehicle thefts, a significant figure for a town of this size. This suggests that Walls may be facing particular challenges in preventing vehicle-related crimes.
Arson data for 2020 shows zero reported incidents, indicating that this particular crime was not a significant issue for the city during that year.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a potential link between the increase in property crimes and the city's growing population density, which rose from 306 per square mile in 2019 to 329 in 2020. Additionally, the median income increased from $50,121 in 2019 to $59,389 in 2020, which could potentially be related to the rise in property crimes, particularly larceny-theft and motor vehicle theft. However, the homeownership rate remained stable at 56% during this period, suggesting that changes in property ownership patterns were not a significant factor in the crime trends.
Applying predictive models to forecast property crime trends for the next five years (up to 2029), we might anticipate a continued increase in overall property crimes if population growth and income trends persist. The high proportion of motor vehicle thefts relative to state figures suggests this could remain a particular area of concern. However, the lack of historical trend data makes long-term predictions challenging and subject to significant uncertainty.
In summary, Walls faces notable challenges in property crime, particularly in motor vehicle theft and larceny. The disproportionate contribution to state totals in some crime categories, especially given the town's small size, suggests a need for targeted crime prevention strategies. The correlation between population growth, increasing median income, and property crime rates underscores the importance of adapting law enforcement and community safety measures to keep pace with the town's changing demographics and economic conditions.
