FBI Reports: Crime in Conshohocken Plummeted Last Year

Crime in Conshohocken fell about 33 percent between 2010 and 2011, according to the latest data released in the FBI's Uniform Crime Report.

The annual report compiles crime statistics nationwide, which can then be broken down by state, municipality, or department. The report sorts the crimes into two major categories: violent crime, defined as murder, rape, robbery, and assault; and property crime, defined as burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft, and arson.

The data shows that Conshohocken had a total of 153 crimes in 2011, down from 227 in 2010. While violent crime remained consistent-- 20 such instances in 2011 from 22 in 2010-- the number of property crimes fell from 205 to 133. The difference was most notable in thefts, which fell from 177 to 115, and in burglaries, which fell from 23 to 16.

Conshohocken Police chief Michael Orler believes the drop was due in large part to a number of arrests his department made in the summer of 2010, following an investigation into a rash of thefts in the borough.

"There were a couple of groups going around town, breaking into vehicles, especially around the Londonbury [Apartments] and 309 Washington," Orler said. "We pinged one of the cellphones that was stolen, and traced it to the area of 300 Angel Alley."

Orler said his department was granted a search warrant, but that officers were actually invited inside the residence, where they then found televisions, computers, and other stolen electronics. The find led to a series of arrests, and Orler believes the group was responsible for at least 40 or 50 of the thefts reported in 2010. A number of the individuals were eventually found guilty and are now behind bars, Orler said.

"We like to remind residents to keep their valuables locked up and out of sight-- don't make it an easy target," Orler said. "Keep your valuables in your trunk or your house, and pull down your GPS hangers."

While violent crime remained about the same, the number of robberies and rapes both dropped to zero, from two and three in 2010, respectively. The number of assaults increased by three, from 17 to 20.

On a longer timeline, the 2011 numbers also represent a decrease from 2006 figures, which were nearly identical to the number of crimes reported in 2010. However, it appears that motor vehicle thefts have decreased significantly in the past five years, from 25 reported in 2006, to 5 in 2010 and just 2 in 2011.

View the tables below to get another look at the data, click here to take a look at crime in Plymouth, and check back later this month as we review crime in Whitemarsh.

Violent crime in Conshohocken:

Property crime in Conshohocken:

Larceny-
theft