Violent Crime Stats in North Branford Revealed for 2014

*Editor’s note: This story was first published Oct. 1. Here it is again, in case you missed it.

New data released by the FBI this week shows that Connecticut saw the fourth largest violent crime drop in the nation, according to state officials.

To underscore that point, state officials say, the FBI’s annual crime report also shows that Connecticut had a 9.7 percent decrease in violent crime.

The nearly double-digit violent crime decrease for 2014 builds upon a drop the state experienced in the previous year, which showed that violent crime in 2013 decreased 10.1 percent over the year prior, Gov. Dannel P. Malloy said in a prepared statement.

In some categories, Stamford didn’t follow the same trend as the state. Reported violent crimes decreased in 2014 with 306 reported, compared to 334 in 2013, according to the FBI data.

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For a breakdown, there were three violent crimes reported in 2014, compared to five in 2013 in North Branford. There weren’t any murders or robberies reported either year. There were two rapes reported each year; one aggravated assault in 2014, down from three in 2013.

The number of burglaries reported in 2014 increased from 14 in 2013 to 26 reported in 2014; larcenies/thefts increased from 144 to 151; the number of motor vehicle thefts increased from 12 in 2013 to 14 reported in 2014. There was one arson reported each year.

Notable statistics for the state of Connecticut in the FBI’s annual report for 2014 include:

• In states with a population of more than 1.3 million people, Connecticut saw the biggest drop in violent crime of any state in the nation.
• Violent crime in Connecticut during 2014 decreased an overall 9.7 percent, which includes a 5.5 percent decrease in murders, a 12.2 percent decrease in rape, an 11 percent decrease in robberies, and an 8.4% decrease in aggravated assaults.
• Although violent crimes have largely held steady in Connecticut since 2000, the state has experienced a 15 percent drop over the last two years alone.
• Nonviolent property crimes also decreased in the state in 2014, including a 7.6 percent drop in burglaries, a 2.1 percent drop in larcenies, and a 2.1 percent drop in motor vehicle thefts.
• The total number of index crimes reported for Connecticut in 2014 is the lowest total since 1967.
• Seventeen states experienced an increase in violent crime over the last year.

“To our police officers, to our public safety officials, thank you,” Malloy said in a statement. “Thank you for all the work you do each and every day in our communities. We are making extraordinary strides in Connecticut, with crime at almost a 50-year low and violent crime dropping dramatically each year. We’re being smart on crime - and it’s working.”

Photo credit: Tex Texin via Flickr.com.