Contact Anita Holder
Phone: 336-433-7294

Crime Declines in First Quarter Compared to 2009

GREENSBORO, NC -- (April 12, 2010) -- Crime rates for January to March of 2010 have declined compared to the same months last year, according to the Greensboro Police Department (GPD). Violent crime is down by 24 percent, property crime by 2 percent and homicides have dropped by 80 percent.

"We monitor crime trends regularly and have seen a steady reduction over the last year. Now, the challenge we face is driving those numbers even lower and stabilizing them at a lower level. That's a task we have to to have community involve in," said Police Chief Tim Bellamy.

Bellamy also links the decline in crime to the decline in the number of weapons seized as evidence. That number also decreased by 40 percent for the quarter compared to last year. 

According to Assistant City Manager Michael Speedling, the crime data suggests police and residents are working together effectively. “A lot of factors affect crime and some of those are harder to impact than others. One thing I’m sure of is that we wouldn’t have such significant drops if we weren’t all working toward the same goal of creating a safer City.”

The Chief also cautions against interpreting downward trends as license to be less vigilant. “Crime trends generally follow a cyclical pattern and just as crime decreases for a variety of factors it may increase in the future if those factors aren’t in place,” Bellamy said.

GPD generates data based on reported offenses during the year. Occasionally,crimes are reported in one calendar year, but actually occurred in another and occasionally cases are unfounded and haven't occurred. For that reason, data that was presented in previous years may be slightly different than data generated with the most current information. Bellamy urges residents to use the crime reports as trend indicators rather than specific counts of criminal offenses.

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The City works with the community to improve the quality of life for residents through inclusion, diversity, and trust. As the seventh largest employer in Greensboro, the City has a professional staff of 2,800 employees who maintain the values of honesty, integrity, stewardship, and respect. The City is governed by a council-manager form of government with a mayor and eight council members. For more information on the City, visit www.greensboro-nc.gov or call 373-CITY (2489).