Assaults, Other Violent Crimes Down In Solon

SOLON, OH — There were only 11 violent crimes in Solon last year, according to data released by the FBI on Monday. Violent crimes include murder, rape, robberies and aggravated assaults. Property crimes in the city increased slightly in 2016 though.

Solon reported one murder or non-negligent manslaughter, five rapes, one robbery and four aggravated assaults last year. In 2015, there were 13 violent crimes, though eight of them were aggravated assaults.

Property crimes went up slightly in 2016 versus 2015. The city recorded 175 property crime incidents, including 15 burglaries, 154 larceny thefts, six stolen cars and one arson. In 2015, there were only 172 property crimes (a slightly lower number), but there were 24 burglaries, 145 larceny thefts, three stolen cars and two cases of arson. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Solon newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

However, Solon bucked a national and statewide trend of rising violent crime numbers.

The Bigger Picture

In Ohio, there were 654 murders reported, or 5.6 murders for every 100,000 people, in 2016, up from 500 murders, 0r 4.3 per every 100,000 in 2015, the FBI data shows. Additionally, the FBI data also shows that the number of rapes increased to 5,589 from 5,149, or 9%, and the number of aggravated assaults climbed to 16,111 from 15,695, or 3% in 2016 from 2015.

The uptick in violent crimes in Ohio mirrored an uptick nationally. The FBI report shows there were an estimated 1.2 million violent crimes in the U.S. in 2016, and while those numbers rose from 2015 to 2016, the five-year trend shows an increase of 2.6 percent from 2012, and the 10-year trend shows a decrease in violent crimes of 12.3 percent from 2007. Murder, non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault are considered by the FBI to be violent crimes.

“For the sake of all Americans, we must confront and turn back the rising tide of violent crime. And we must do it together,” Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “The Department of Justice is committed to working with our state, local, and tribal partners across the country to deter violent crime, dismantle criminal organizations and gangs, stop the scourge of drug trafficking, and send a strong message to criminals that we will not surrender our communities to lawlessness and violence.”

For more information on Ohio's uptick in violent crime, click here.

Photo from Renee Schiavone, Patch