Newton 2021 Crime Stats: Total Crimes Drop, Hate Crimes Rise

NEWTON, MA — The Newton Police Department has released their annual crime report for 2021, compiled by NPD Crime Analyst Manager Michael Bozio.

According to the report, property crimes dropped three percent since 2019, violent crimes dropped 11 percent, and arrests dropped 20 percent. Car breaks jumped 33 percent from 108 in 2019 to 144 in 2021.

In addition to car breaks, other areas of concern for Newton Police Chief John Carmichael include substance use disorder, mental health, and domestic violence issues, trends being seen across Massachusetts and the United States.

Last year, Newton Police responded to 429 mental health related calls, up significantly from five years earlier when there were 270 in 2016.

However, there was a significant decrease in overdose calls, down from 39 in 2019 to 20 in 2021. Nine of the 20 calls involved Newton residents while the others were visitors and four were fatal overdoses.

The city saw a decline in traffic incidents, with the number of car, bicycle, and pedestrian crashes all down. Car crashes decreased from 1322 in 2019 to 1066 last year, bicycle crashes decreased from 31 in 2019 to 26, and pedestrian crashes were down very slightly from 34 in 2019 to 32. The number of people arrested for Operating Under the Influence also decreased by 48 percent.

Another area of concern is hate crimes, which jumped from 20 in 2019 to 59 in 2021. The Newton Police Department said they have investigated each of the 59 incidents and shared information with the Mayor's Office, Newton Human Rights Commission, the Anti-Defamation League, and Middlesex District Attorney Marian Ryan’s Office. Three cases in 2021 resulted in criminal charges being filed at District Court.

To find more of the city’s crime data, click here. Chief Carmichael’s letter to the community regarding hate crimes is available here.