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Violent Crime Decline in Sharpsburg: A Decade of Improvement
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Sharpsburg, located in North Carolina, has experienced notable changes in its violent crime statistics over the past decade. From 2010 to 2021, the total number of violent crimes decreased significantly from 17 to 2, representing an 88.2% reduction. During this same period, the population grew from 4,554 to 5,228, an increase of 14.8%.
The murder rate in the city has remained consistently at zero for both recorded years, 2010 and 2021. This stability in the absence of murders is particularly noteworthy given the population growth. The murder rate per 1,000 people has effectively remained at 0, and the city's contribution to the state's murder statistics has been 0% throughout this period. This suggests a remarkably safe environment in terms of the most serious violent crime.
Rape incidents in the city show a decline from 1 case in 2010 to 0 cases in 2021. This represents a 100% decrease in reported rapes. The rape rate per 1,000 people decreased from 0.22 in 2010 to 0 in 2021. The city's contribution to the state's rape statistics also dropped from 0.09% to 0%, indicating an improvement in this aspect of public safety relative to both the local population and state figures.
Robbery cases have seen a complete elimination, decreasing from 4 incidents in 2010 to 0 in 2021. This 100% reduction is significant, especially considering the growing population. The robbery rate per 1,000 people fell from 0.88 in 2010 to 0 in 2021. The city's share of state robbery cases also decreased from 0.05% to 0%, suggesting a substantial improvement in this category of violent crime.
Aggravated assault cases show the most dramatic change, decreasing from 12 incidents in 2010 to 2 in 2021, an 83.3% reduction. The rate of aggravated assaults per 1,000 people decreased from 2.63 in 2010 to 0.38 in 2021. Despite this significant decrease, the city's contribution to the state's aggravated assault statistics only marginally decreased from 0.09% to 0.01%, indicating that while local improvements were substantial, they were somewhat in line with statewide trends.
When examining correlations, a strong inverse relationship is observed between the decrease in violent crimes and the increase in population density. As the population density increased from 4,592 per square mile in 2010 to 5,271 per square mile in 2021, violent crimes decreased. Additionally, there appears to be a correlation between changes in racial demographics and crime rates. The percentage of white residents increased from 46% in 2017 to 67% in 2022, coinciding with the overall reduction in violent crimes.
Applying predictive models based on these trends, it's projected that by 2029, violent crimes in Sharpsburg may potentially decrease further, possibly reaching near-zero levels across all categories if current trends continue. However, this projection should be interpreted cautiously due to the already low crime numbers.
In summary, Sharpsburg has demonstrated a remarkable improvement in its violent crime statistics over the past decade. The complete elimination of murders, rapes, and robberies, coupled with a significant reduction in aggravated assaults, paints a picture of an increasingly safe community. These positive changes, occurring alongside population growth and shifts in racial demographics, suggest that Sharpsburg has made significant strides in enhancing public safety and could serve as a model for other small towns seeking to reduce violent crime.
