Crimes Decreased In Marple Township In 2023, Per Annual Police Report

MARPLE TOWNSHIP, PA — Crime in Marple Township decreased in 2023, according to the police department's annual report.

The annual report sheds light on crimes in 2023, including statistics on all kinds of crime incidents, arrests, and more.

In 2023, police reported 483 crimes. That figure is down from 2022, which saw 530 crimes. 2021 had 435 crimes.

There were no murders or rapes in 2023.

Below is a breakdown of crime figures in 2023, according to police:

• Assault — 16
• Burglary — 11
• Robbery — 2
• Theft — 265
• Auto Theft — 4
• Forgery — 15
• Fraud — 36
• Receiving Stolen Property — 3
• Criminal Mischief (Vandalism) — 21
• Weapons Violations — 4
• Sex Offenses — 3
• Drug Laws — 27
• DUI — 19
• Underage Drinking — 4
• Public Drunkenness — 10
• Disorderly Conduct — 6
• Prowling At Night — 0
• Corruption Of Minors — 1
• Terrorist Threats — 6
• Harassment — 6
• Criminal Trespass — 9
• Protection From Abuse Order Violation — 8
• Arrest on Warrant (Fugitive) — 4
• Stalking — 1
• Endangering the Welfare of a Child — 2

Of the 483 offenses reported in 2023, 56 percent were classified as thefts, with retail theft, commonly referred to as shoplifting, making up 43 percent of all thefts.

Of the 142 people arrested for theft, 8 percent were from Marple, 14 from outside Delaware County (including five illegal aliens), 26 percent were from Delaware County but not Marple (including three illegal aliens), and 51 percent were from Philadelphia.

Police made 303 arrests in 2023, as well.

Of those arrests, 32 percent were white men, 29 percent were black men, 17 percent were black women, 16 percent were white women, 2 percent were Hispanic women, and less than one percent were Asian men.

Additionally, police dealt with 27 "use of force" incidents in 2023, which is a 29 percent increase from 2022. Twenty-six of these use of force incidents were limited to an officer or officers physically restraining or controlling an individual using nothing more than hands and training. A taser was used in one instance.

See the full report online here.