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Violent Crime Trends in Weston, Missouri: A Decade of Fluctuations in a Small Community
CATEGORY
Crime
DATA
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Loading Content...
Crime
Violent Crime
Median Rent
Racial Distributions
Population
Weston, located in Missouri, presents an intriguing case study in violent crime trends. Over the period from 2010 to 2022, the city experienced fluctuations in both its violent crime rates and population. The total number of violent crimes varied from a high of 6 in 2010 to a low of 0 in 2019, with 4 reported incidents in 2022. This represents a 33.33% decrease in violent crimes from 2010 to 2022. During the same period, the population experienced modest growth, increasing from 2,682 in 2010 to 2,712 in 2022, a 1.12% increase.
Examining murder trends, the city reported only one incident in 2021, which accounted for 0.21% of the state's total murders that year. This translates to a rate of 0.38 murders per 1,000 people in 2021. Given the rarity of this crime in Weston, it's difficult to establish a clear trend or pattern. The single incident represents an anomaly rather than a consistent issue for the community.
Rape incidents in the city have remained low, with sporadic occurrences. One case was reported in each of the years 2011, 2013, 2016, 2017, 2021, and 2022. This consistency suggests a rate of approximately 0.37 rapes per 1,000 people in the years when incidents occurred. The percentage of state rape crimes attributed to Weston has remained relatively stable, ranging from 0.05% to 0.09% when incidents were reported. This indicates that while rape is a concern, it does not represent a disproportionate problem compared to state levels.
Robbery trends in Weston show minimal occurrences. Only three incidents were reported over the 12-year period: one each in 2014, 2021, and 2022. This translates to a rate of about 0.37 robberies per 1,000 people in the years when robberies occurred. The city's contribution to state robbery statistics has been consistently low, at 0.02% in 2014 and 0.03% in both 2021 and 2022. These figures suggest that robbery is not a significant ongoing issue in the community.
Aggravated assault has been the most prevalent form of violent crime in Weston, though numbers have generally decreased over time. The city saw 6 cases in 2010, which dropped to 2 cases in 2022. This represents a decrease from 2.24 to 0.74 aggravated assaults per 1,000 people. The city's contribution to state aggravated assault statistics has also declined, from 0.04% in 2010 to 0.01% in 2022. This downward trend indicates improving safety conditions with respect to this particular crime.
Examining correlations, there appears to be a moderate inverse relationship between population density and violent crime rates. As population density decreased from 706 people per square mile in 2010 to 714 in 2022, violent crimes generally trended downward, despite some fluctuations. The racial composition of the city has remained predominantly white, with the percentage staying consistent at around 93% from 2017 to 2022, showing no strong correlation with crime trends.
Applying predictive models based on the available data, it's projected that violent crime rates in Weston will likely remain low and stable over the next five years, extending to 2029. The city may continue to see sporadic incidents of violent crime, but the overall trend suggests that the annual number of incidents will likely remain in the low single digits.
In summary, Weston has demonstrated a generally improving safety profile over the past decade. The most significant changes have been observed in aggravated assault rates, which have shown a clear downward trend. While isolated incidents of more serious crimes like murder have occurred, they remain rare events. The city's contribution to state crime statistics has remained consistently low across all categories of violent crime. These trends, coupled with the stable population and demographic composition, suggest that Weston is likely to maintain its relatively low crime rates in the near future, barring any significant socioeconomic changes.
