Data released by the Boston Police Department shows a dramatic drop in violent crime in the first nine months of 2021, compared to the same time period last year. It’s a startling result that places Boston outside the trend seen nationwide, where murders are rising.
Crime dropped in nearly every category and all but two of the city’s police districts when compared with the first nine months of 2020, according to data that the Boston Police Department released to GBH News.
FBI reports show that there were 30% more murders nationwide in 2020 compared to the previous year and that number continued to rise over the summer — but murders in Boston dropped by nearly a third so far this year.
According to data released in September by the Boston Police Department, there have been 32 homicides in the first nine months of 2021, down from 45 this time last year.
Shea Cronin, a professor of criminal justice at Boston University’s Metropolitan College, said it was a welcome contrast from 2020, when violent deaths in Boston and across the United States increased precipitously.
“This is a good sign [of] where we're at now and hopefully we can continue to work to drive violence down in the city,” Shea said.
Along with the decline in murders, the city saw a decrease in many types of violent crime, including domestic assault. Property crimes, like auto thefts and burglary, also went down. The only category of crime that showed an increase in the data provided by BPD were sexual assaults: the first nine months of 2020 showed 144 rapes or attempted rapes, while the same time period this year showed 151.
Community activist Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III said Boston crime statistics reflect “smart, targeting policing” in high crime areas and partnerships with community groups.
“Boston is probably, imperfections and warts and all, the best model for community-based collaborative policing in violent neighborhoods,” he said.
“These recent crime statistics are a product of the hard work of the dedicated men and women of the Boston Police,” said Boston Police Chief Gregory Long. “We continue to work with our community partners to strengthen our existing relationship with the shared goal of ensuring safe neighborhoods throughout our city.”
GBH News intern Alanis Broussard contributed to this report.
