Despite a 19.2 percent overall decrease in crime since 2003, the Midland Police Department saw a slight increase in "Part I" crimes from 2013 to 2014.
MPD recently compiled its annual crime statistics for 2014. The following numbers refer to Part I crimes, which are those most likely to be reported and are serious in nature and/or volume:
Crime | 2013 | 2014 | Increase/Decrease |
Murder & Manslaughter by Negligence | 5 | 7 | 40% |
Forcible Rape | 22 | 36 | 64% |
Robbery | 63 | 65 | 3% |
Aggravated Assault | 260 | 299 | 15% |
Burglary | 568 | 597 | 5% |
Theft | 2,459 | 2,475 | .65% |
Auto Theft | 164 | 194 | 18% |
Total Part I | 3,541 | 3,673 | 3.7% |
Midland’s crime rate has fallen in eight of the last eleven years. The department saw increases in Part I crimes from the previous year in 2009, 2013, and 2014, but remains well below the total of 4,547 Part I crimes that were reported in 2003.
Despite a slight increase in burglaries over the past year, the department has seen an overall decrease of 34 percent in the crime category since implementing a reduction strategy in June 2009, a year in which there were a total of 909 reported burglaries. The department also continues to battle auto theft by educating citizens to lock their car doors at all times and take their keys with them when they leave their vehicles.
After a year-over-year decrease in aggravated assaults and forcible rapes in 2013, incidents in the same categories increased in 2014. MPD offers an increasingly popular Rape Aggression Defense class, and reminds citizens that the majority of these cases include a relative, friend, or acquaintance as the offender.
The police department has been able to keep recent increases in crime rates relatively low in a time of exponential growth thanks to its partnership with community organizations and dedicated officers and detectives who track crime data and statistics to identify trends across the city. In an effort to enhance its partnership with the community, the department has strengthened its online presence through the launch of pages on Facebook, Twitter, and digital neighborhood watch site, www.nextdoor.com.
Citizens can view recent crime activity in areas of interest to them by visiting www.crimemapping.com.
###Media Contact: Police Chief Price Robinson