Latest news with #DESPP
Yahoo
15-05-2025
- Yahoo
Some crime dropped in 2024; some rose. See numbers officials say makes CT ‘one of the safest' states
Crime in Connecticut dropped in 2024 compared to the previous year, which included a drop in violent crime that encompassed a dip in murders of more than 30%, according to preliminary statistics released on Tuesday. The statistics were part of the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection's 'Crime in Connecticut' report, which is now updated quarterly. The preliminary statistics are in line with the National Incident Based Reporting System, which is the national standard for reporting crime. The preliminary stats show a drop in all three categories that are recorded, which include crimes against persons, crimes against property and crimes against society. 'Violent crime, including murder, and property crimes such as motor vehicle theft show substantial declines,' DESPP Commissioner Ronnell A. Higgins said in a statement. 'Connecticut is one of the safest among all states, and we will use the detailed data that we collect and analyze to guide our future decision making.' According to the report, crimes against persons — more commonly known as violent crime — dropped by 2.6% in 2024 when compared to the previous year. This category in the last quarter of 2024 was the lowest it has been since the first quarter of 2021. The final three months of last year represented a 5.6% decrease in crimes against persons compared to the same time period in 2023. Crimes against persons includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, negligent manslaughter, kidnapping and abductions, assaults, sex offenses and human trafficking crimes. There were 29,950 crimes against persons reported in 2024. According to the preliminary statistics, murders and non-negligent manslaughters dropped by just over 34% in 2024 compared to the previous year. Aggravated assaults dropped by just over 7% in the same time period, and rapes dipped by a little more than 14%, the statistics show. Instances of criminal sexual contact dropped in 2024 by 18%, while statutory rapes fell by nearly 19%, according to statistics. The only crimes against persons that saw increases in 2024 were kidnappings and abductions, which rose by 2.3%, and simple assaults which saw a sliver of a rise by 0.1%, the statistics show. The report notes that, in the most recent quarter (Q4) of 2024, there were 6,986 crimes against persons, a 5.6% decrease from Q4 2023 and that for all 2024, there were 29,950 crimes against persons reported, 2.6% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. The report also notes it is preliminary because, 'some investigations may still be ongoing and the results of such investigations may affect the data in this report.' Violent crimes typically increase in the warmer months between April and September, though officials noted in the report that this 'was not as apparent' in 2024. Violent crimes accounted for about 24.5% of all crime reported in the state in 2024, the report said. There were 111 murders/ nonnegligent manslaughter and negligent manslaughter cases reported in 2024, the report shows. Crimes against property, which include burglaries, robberies, car thefts, shopliftings, identity theft, fraud and other types of theft, fell last year by 16.9%. The biggest drop recorded in this category was identity theft, which decreased by about 66%, the statistic show. Fraud offenses as a whole fell by 38%, which included a 17.1% decline in hacking and computer invasion offenses. Wire fraud in 2024 increased by 24.7%, according to the preliminary stats. Burglaries and robberies each fell by more than 11%, while car thefts dropped by 19.2%. Shopliftings increased in 2024 by 1.5%, the statistics show. According to state officials, the last quarter of 2024 saw a 17.2% decrease in crimes against property compared to the same time period the previous year and was the lowest it has been since the second quarter of 2021. Property crimes accounted for 67.3% of all crime in the state last year. Crimes against society, which include animal cruelty cases, drug violations, weapon law violations and pornography or obscene material crimes, dropped as a whole by 4.4% in 2024, the preliminary data show. Animal cruelty cases, however, skyrocketed by 36.7%. Drug and narcotic violations also saw an increase, rising by 3.7%. The report notes that, in the most recent quarter of 2024, there were 2,231 crimes against society, which was a 9.5% decrease from Q4 2023, and in all of 2024, there were 10,040 crimes against society reported, which is a 4.4% decrease compared to the same period in 2023. Weapon law violations fell by 17.9%, and obscene material/pornography crimes dropped by 8.8%, the statistics show. Crimes against society dropped 9.5% in the final quarter of 2024 compared to the same time in 2023 and was the lowest it has been since the first quarter of 2021, officials said. Crimes against society accounted for about 8.2% of all crime in Connecticut last year, the report said. 'We will use this data to drive our decision-making, including the guidance we provide to local law enforcement and police chiefs,'' Higgins said. 'Real-time data analysis is a top priority for DESPP so that law enforcement makes the right decisions to keep Connecticut residents safe.'
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Yahoo
New report says crime is down in Connecticut
NEW HAVEN, Conn. (WTNH) — A new report released by the Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection (DESPP) shows a decreasing trend in crime across Connecticut. The report which can be read here highlights three key areas, Crime Against People, Crime Against Property and Crime Against Society. Serious crime in Connecticut continued to decline for most of 2024, data shows News 8 talked with some residents who tell us they believe the data and feel it reflects what they see in their community. One man says, 'I would say it probably would represent [decreasing crime] I mean I live on the other side of the state a small little town the crime I haven't seen go up at all.' Another man we talked with says if crime is down it's because police are doing their jobs. DESPP Commissioner Ronnell Higgins sat down with News 8 to go over the findings and data included in the report. 'The results were seeing with crime reductions it's because police officers are out there doing their job that's because police chiefs are leading,' Higgins said. Higgins feels data should be driving decisions for law enforcement agencies across the state. Every police department submits monthly data to DESPP. That data gets analyzed and sent out every three months. Higgins says it used to be released once a year and that isn't going to help departments. Now, the data will be released quarterly. While the data indicates crime is down statewide, some may argue that doesn't properly represent what's happening in their communities. 'This is statewide data, so there may be areas where there are increases. There may be some cities and towns where they're seeing and feeling a spike,' Higgins said. He says it's all about understanding the data and how the numbers get to where they are. He wants to know why we're seeing a decrease and what is causing the drop in crime. For example, he says identity theft is down. 'We see that identity theft is down significantly, [but] is it because people have stopped calling police and are reporting it another way?' Higgins said. Before becoming commissioner, Higgins was a police chief himself. He said that his past experience helps bring a new perspective to the data set. The report also indicated a rise in hate crimes over the last five years. In response, they launched a new Hate Crimes Initiative to tackle the issue in communities across Connecticut. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
