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Violent Crime Trends in Gooding, Idaho: A Decade of Fluctuations in a Small Urban Center
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Gooding, located in Idaho, presents an interesting case study in violent crime trends. From 2010 to 2022, the city experienced fluctuations in its total violent crime incidents, with a notable increase from 5 incidents in 2010 to 9 in 2022, representing an 80% increase. During this same period, the population grew from 5,815 in 2010 to 6,600 in 2022, a 13.5% increase, indicating that crime rates have outpaced population growth.
Murder rates in the city have remained remarkably low, with only one reported case in 2016, accounting for 3.85% of the state's murders that year. This translates to a rate of 0.15 murders per 1,000 people in 2016. In all other years, there were no reported murders, suggesting an overall safe environment in terms of homicides.
Rape incidents have fluctuated over the years, with the highest number (3) reported in 2020, representing 0.53% of the state's total. The rate per 1,000 people peaked at 0.47 in 2020, up from 0 in several previous years. The percentage of state crime for rape has varied, reaching a high of 0.4% in 2016 before declining to 0% in 2022. This suggests that while rape incidents have occurred, they remain relatively infrequent and constitute a small portion of the state's total.
Robbery trends show sporadic occurrences, with single incidents reported in 2010, 2012, 2014, 2015, 2017, and 2022. The highest percentage of state robberies was 0.78% in 2022, indicating that while robberies are rare, they have slightly increased in recent years relative to state figures. The rate per 1,000 people has remained low, peaking at 0.15 in 2022.
Aggravated assault has been the most prevalent violent crime in the city. The number of incidents increased from 4 in 2010 to 8 in 2022, with a peak of 14 in 2021. This represented 0.75% of the state's aggravated assaults in 2021, the highest percentage over the studied period. The rate per 1,000 people rose from 0.69 in 2010 to 1.21 in 2022, indicating a concerning upward trend in this category of violent crime.
There appears to be a correlation between population density and violent crime rates. As the population density increased from 3,830 people per square mile in 2010 to 4,347 in 2022, the total number of violent crimes also showed an overall upward trend. Additionally, there seems to be a relationship between the Hispanic population percentage and violent crime rates. As the Hispanic population decreased from 29% in 2015 to 20% in 2022, there was a slight increase in violent crimes, suggesting other factors may be influencing crime rates more significantly.
Applying predictive models to forecast violent crime trends for the next five years (up to 2029), we can anticipate a continued gradual increase in overall violent crime incidents if current trends persist. Aggravated assaults are likely to remain the primary concern, potentially reaching 10-12 incidents annually by 2029. Robbery rates may stabilize at 1-2 incidents per year, while rape incidents could fluctuate between 0-3 cases annually. Murder rates are expected to remain very low, with the possibility of isolated incidents.
In summary, Gooding has experienced a moderate increase in violent crime over the past decade, primarily driven by aggravated assaults. While the overall numbers remain relatively low, the rate of increase outpaces population growth, warranting attention from local law enforcement and community leaders. The city's changing demographics and increasing population density appear to have some influence on crime trends, but other factors not captured in this data may also play significant roles in shaping the local crime landscape.
