West Chester Twp. crime rates
Crime: 2011 - 2012
Murder: 1 - 0
Rape: 28 - 26
Robbery: 31 - 13
Aggravated assault: 20 - 12
Burglary: 238 - 214
Larceny: 1,037 - 1,002
Auto theft: 27 - 28
Arson: 12 - 4
Violent crimes: 80 - 51
Source: West Chester Police Department
All major crime rates have decreased in West Chester Twp. as compared to 2011.
Officer Jeff Newman said reported rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults are among the crimes that police are seeing at decreased levels. Newman said the only increase in 2012 was auto thefts — up by one to 28 this year.
Locally, Newman credits the lower crime rates to increased police patrols and deeper crime prevention efforts. He said the department displays detailed township maps — in prevalent hallways for officers to see — with trending areas of crime.
“Our issues have been with thefts this year,” Newman said. “If we notice where a certain amount are taking place, we concentrate bike patrols and plain-clothed patrols.”
Newman said this decrease in crime levels reflects a statewide and national downward trend. Statistics from the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting program have recorded a decrease in all violent crimes — murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — nationally when comparing 2010 rates to 2011.
But a true help to the department, Newman said, have been the extra sets of eyes on specific neighborhoods and streets by way of neighborhood watches. Newman manages police communication with the township’s 24 neighborhood watches, which have grown from just three in 2009.
“In the last few years, we’ve increased a lot of prevention … with public awareness bulletins, email newsletters,” Newman said.
Resident Shirley Neal, involved in a neighborhood watch within the Ivory Hills subdivision, said the neighborhood watch has helped develop a better relationship with West Chester police over the past two and a half years.
“They are more visible in our neighborhood and come to our events,” Neal said, adding the officers held a child identification program during its last spring cleanup of the neighborhood.
Neal said the Ivory Hills subdivision includes about 155 homes. Neal said she will forward on to the residents and civic association members all email newsletters and crime updates she receives from Officer Newman.
“The police check on things such as abandoned cars or suspicious people; the biggest problem we’ve had is car break-ins,” Neal said. “The police do a fantastic job reaching out to everybody. It’s helped the whole neighborhood.”
As well, Newman said officers have better taken “ownership” over their beats by interacting more with local businesses, daycares and hotels. He said officers also do “preventative patrols” by walking through parking lots to leave notifications where they spot preventable crimes, such as having valuables visible inside a parked car.
“Lock your doors, set an alarm, park in a well-lit area,” Newman said are all preventative measures to take.
Newman said thefts from autos have seasonal spikes — including summer when people leave car windows down and winter when new Christmas gifts are left unattended. West Chester police responded to more than 290 thefts from cars in 2012.
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