Loading Content...
Property Crime Trends in Washington, Oklahoma: A Decade of Growth and Fluctuating Crime Rates
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Property Crime
Percent Owner Occupied
Median Income
Population
Washington, Oklahoma, is a small community that has experienced fluctuating property crime rates alongside population growth over the past decade. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of property crimes varied between 0 and 5 incidents per year, with no clear long-term trend. During this same period, the population grew from 948 in 2010 to 1,180 in 2022, representing a 24.5% increase.
Burglary rates in the city have shown considerable variation over time. In 2010, there were 2 burglaries reported, which increased to 3 in 2011 and 2013. However, there were years with no reported burglaries, such as 2014 and 2016-2017. The burglary rate per 1,000 people fluctuated accordingly, reaching a peak of 2.97 per 1,000 in 2013 and dropping to 0 in several years. The city's contribution to state burglary statistics remained minimal, ranging from 0% to 0.02% of the state total. This suggests that while burglary is a concern, it is not a persistent or growing problem in the community.
Larceny-theft incidents have been relatively low and inconsistent in the city. The highest number of reported cases was 2 in 2012 and 2016, with many years showing no incidents at all. The larceny-theft rate per 1,000 people reached its maximum of 2.01 in 2016 but was 0 for most of the observed period. The city's contribution to state larceny-theft statistics was consistently reported as 0%, indicating that these crimes in the city had a negligible impact on state-wide figures.
Motor vehicle theft in the city has been sporadic, with a maximum of 2 incidents reported in 2010. The rate per 1,000 people was highest in 2010 at 2.11 but decreased to 0 in most subsequent years. The city's contribution to state motor vehicle theft statistics ranged from 0% to 0.02%, showing that these crimes in the city had minimal impact on state-wide figures.
Arson incidents have been rare in the city, with only one reported case in 2010. This resulted in a rate of 1.05 per 1,000 people for that year. The city's contribution to state arson statistics was 0.15% in 2010 but remained at 0% for all other years in the dataset. This suggests that arson is not a recurring issue in the community.
Examining correlations between property crime trends and other factors reveals some interesting patterns. There appears to be a weak negative correlation between property crime rates and population density. As the population density increased from 654 per square mile in 2010 to 814 in 2022, the overall property crime rate showed a slight downward trend. However, this correlation is not strong enough to draw definitive conclusions.
Applying predictive models to forecast property crime trends for the next five years (up to 2029) suggests a continuation of the current low and fluctuating pattern. Based on historical data, we can expect the annual number of property crimes to remain between 1 and 4 incidents per year. However, as the population is projected to continue growing, the per capita crime rate may show a slight decreasing trend.
In summary, Washington has maintained relatively low property crime rates despite its population growth. Burglary has been the most prevalent property crime, but its occurrence has been inconsistent. Larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson have been infrequent, with many years showing no incidents. The city's contribution to state-wide property crime statistics has remained minimal across all categories. While these trends are generally positive for the community, continued vigilance and community-based crime prevention efforts will be crucial in maintaining the low crime rates as the population continues to grow.
