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Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Pittston, located in Pennsylvania, has experienced fluctuations in violent crime rates over the past decade, set against a backdrop of minor population changes. From 2010 to 2018, the total number of violent crimes decreased by 42.86%, from 28 to 16 incidents, while the population saw a slight decline of 0.99%, from 7,770 to 7,693 residents.
The murder rate in this small city has remained exceptionally low, with only one reported case in 2017, representing 0.19% of the state's murders that year. This translates to a rate of 0.13 murders per 1,000 residents in 2017. In all other reported years (2010, 2012-2014, and 2018), there were no murders, effectively maintaining a 0% share of state murders. This stability in the murder rate, despite minor population fluctuations, suggests a consistently safe environment in terms of homicides.
Rape incidents have shown some variation over the years. In 2010 and 2012, there were 2 reported cases each year, representing 0.12% and 0.13% of the state's rapes, respectively. The rate dropped to zero in 2013 but rose again to 1 case in 2014 (0.05% of state rapes) and 3 cases in both 2017 and 2018 (0.16% and 0.15% of state rapes). The rape rate per 1,000 residents increased from 0.26 in 2010 to 0.39 in 2018, indicating a concerning upward trend despite the small numbers involved.
Robbery trends have been inconsistent. There was 1 case in 2010 (0.01% of state robberies), increasing to 3 cases in 2012 (0.02% of state robberies), then decreasing to 1 case in 2013 (0.01% of state robberies). No robberies were reported in 2014 and 2017, but 1 case (0.01% of state robberies) occurred in 2018. The robbery rate per 1,000 residents fluctuated from 0.13 in 2010 to 0.13 in 2018, with peaks and valleys in between.
Aggravated assault has shown the most significant changes among violent crimes. In 2010, there were 25 cases (0.17% of state assaults), which decreased to 12 cases in 2012 (0.09% of state assaults) and further to 7 cases in 2013 (0.06% of state assaults). The numbers then increased to 13 cases in 2014 (0.10% of state assaults), dropped to 9 cases in 2017 (0.07% of state assaults), and rose again to 12 cases in 2018 (0.09% of state assaults). The rate per 1,000 residents decreased from 3.22 in 2010 to 1.56 in 2018, showing an overall downward trend despite fluctuations.
There appears to be a correlation between the city's racial composition and violent crime rates. As the white population percentage decreased from 94% in 2013 to 84% in 2022, there was a slight increase in violent crimes, particularly in rape and aggravated assault cases. This shift coincided with increases in Black and Hispanic populations, rising from 1% each in 2013 to 5% and 6% respectively in 2022.
Applying predictive models based on these trends, it's projected that by 2029 (five years from now), Pittston may see a slight increase in violent crimes, particularly in rape and aggravated assault cases. The total number of violent crimes could potentially rise to around 20-22 incidents per year, assuming current demographic and socioeconomic trends continue.
In summary, while Pittston has maintained a relatively low violent crime rate, especially for murders and robberies, there are concerning trends in rape and aggravated assault cases. The changing demographic composition of the city appears to correlate with these shifts in crime rates, suggesting a need for targeted community policing and social integration efforts to maintain public safety as the city's population becomes more diverse.