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Rising Violent Crime in Hazelwood, Missouri: A Decade of Change
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Hazelwood, located in Missouri, has experienced significant changes in its violent crime landscape over the past decade. From 2010 to 2022, the total number of violent crimes increased by 92.86%, rising from 98 incidents in 2010 to 189 in 2022. During this same period, the population decreased slightly by 2.92%, from 25,940 in 2010 to 25,184 in 2022.
Murder rates in the city have shown a concerning upward trend. In 2010, there was 1 murder, which increased to 12 in 2022, representing a 1100% increase. The murder rate per 1,000 people rose from 0.039 in 2010 to 0.477 in 2022, a significant increase. The city's share of state murders also grew substantially, from 0.3% in 2010 to 2.23% in 2022, indicating that murder rates in Hazelwood are growing faster than the state average.
Rape incidents have also increased over time. In 2010, there were 8 reported rapes, which more than doubled to 19 in 2022, a 137.5% increase. The rape rate per 1,000 people increased from 0.308 in 2010 to 0.754 in 2022. The city's percentage of state rape cases fluctuated but showed an overall increase from 0.75% in 2010 to 0.9% in 2022, suggesting that rape incidents in the city are growing slightly faster than the state average.
Robbery trends show a less dramatic change. The number of robberies decreased from 30 in 2010 to 25 in 2022, a 16.67% decrease. However, due to the population decrease, the robbery rate per 1,000 people only decreased slightly from 1.157 in 2010 to 0.993 in 2022. The city's share of state robberies increased from 0.54% to 0.82% during this period, indicating that while robberies decreased in the city, they decreased at a slower rate than the state average.
Aggravated assault cases have shown a significant increase. In 2010, there were 59 cases, which more than doubled to 133 in 2022, representing a 125.42% increase. The rate per 1,000 people increased from 2.274 in 2010 to 5.281 in 2022. The city's share of state aggravated assaults also increased from 0.41% to 0.76%, indicating that aggravated assaults in Hazelwood are growing faster than the state average.
There appears to be a strong correlation between the increase in violent crimes and changes in racial demographics. From 2013 to 2022, the Black population percentage increased from 32% to 42%, while the White population decreased from 58% to 46%. This demographic shift coincides with the increase in violent crimes, particularly murder and aggravated assault.
Applying predictive models based on these trends, it's projected that by 2029 (five years from now), Hazelwood may experience: - An increase in murders to approximately 18-20 per year - Rape cases potentially rising to 25-30 annually - Robbery cases remaining relatively stable at 23-27 per year - Aggravated assaults potentially increasing to 180-200 cases annually
In summary, Hazelwood has experienced a significant increase in violent crimes, particularly murders and aggravated assaults, over the past decade. This trend coincides with demographic shifts and a slight population decrease. The city's share of state crimes has generally increased across all categories, indicating that Hazelwood is facing growing challenges in managing violent crime compared to other parts of Missouri. These trends underscore the need for targeted interventions and community-based strategies to address the rising crime rates in Hazelwood.
