Crime & Safety
Annual Birmingham Police Report Shows Increase in Vandalism, Vehicle Theft
Also part of the Police Department's 2011 Annual Crime Report: There are fewer officers this year, June is the busiest month for arrests, and incidents of larceny are down.
Vandalism and vehicle theft were popular crimes in Birmingham last year, according to the 2011 Annual Crime Report released late last week by the .
The report, which breaks down crime across the city while noting trends in police hiring, also points to a slight decrease in several crime categories — such as larceny and assault — and in the total number of arrests for adults and juveniles.
While incidents of vandalism and vehicle theft took the most notable jump in 2011, Police Chief Don Studt said these figures are consistent with Birmingham crime trends going back three years.
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According to Studt, although 103 incidents of vandalism in 2011 is a marked increase from the 83 incidents in 2010, there were 106 vandalism incidents in 2009; the three-year average, according to the report, is 97 per year.
The report also acknowledges an increase in vehicle thefts during the past year — there were 14 in 2011 but only eight in 2010. However Studt said the 14 incidents in 2011 was consistent with thefts in 2009, when 19 cases were reported.
Find out what's happening in Birminghamwith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Meanwhile, the Birmingham Police Department experienced a 6.45 percent reduction in the number of sworn officers after two positions in the detective bureau and patrol division were eliminated. There are currently 29 sworn officers in the department (down from 31 in 2010) and eight full-time civilian positions (which remains consistent with previous years).
In total, the report outlines various personnel changes in 2011, including:
- One promotion
- Elimination of one position (corporal)
- Three retirements
- Two resignations
- Nine new hires, including several part-time dispatchers and school crossing guards
Also in the report: The busiest time of year for adult arrests in Birmingham continues to be the warmer months. There were 34 arrests in June 2011, the highest for the year; this is consistent with the department's three-year average for June — 28.3 arrests. October was the slowest month last year, with 11 arrests.
A quick look at crime in Birmingham in 2011
Service calls in 2011
Criminal offenses in 2011, by category
2011 2010 2009 Three-year average Criminal Homicide 0 0 0 0 Criminal Sexual Conduct I, III 2 3 3 2.7 Criminal Sexual Conduct II, IV 2 0 0 0.66 Robbery 7 6 4 5.7 Assault 54 75 132 87 Vandalism 103 83 106 97.3 Burglary 48 45 70 54.3 Larceny 316 322 311 316.6 Vehicle theft 14 8 19 13.6 Operating While Impaired 43 52 65 53.3 Arson 3 5 1 3 Forgery / counterfeiting 1 1 8 3.33 Fraud 99 90 107 98.7 Embezzlement 4 6 2 4 Total 696 751 828 758.3
Adult and juvenile arrests in 2011
Adult arrests in 2011, by month
Month January 24 February 20 March 20 April 16 May 20 June 34 July 17 August 24 September 20 October 11 November 16 December 22Car accidents in 2011
2011 2010 2009 Total accidents 870 835 785 Accidents with property damage 778 735 688 Accidents with personal injuries 91 99 97 Accidents with fatal injuries 1 1 0Parking violations in 2011
All information is provided by the Birmingham Police Department's 2011 Annual Report.
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