Crime in Cambridge Drops to Record Lows in 2019

The Cambridge Police Department today released end-of-the-year serious crime* index totals for the City of Cambridge in 2019 and the results are the lowest in the City in over 55 years.

After seven consecutive years of reductions in crime, Cambridge experienced a slight increase in 2018. However, the 2,257 serious crimes reported in 2019 declined five percent versus 2018 and represented the lowest total of index crimes reported to the FBI since Congress enacted the Omnibus Crime Control Act in 1968. 2019 was also the sixth consecutive year in which the crime index total has remained below 3,000 incidents in Cambridge.

Analysis of the statistics shows declines in both violent and property crime – nine percent and five percent, respectively. Overall, serious crimes were down 10 percent in 2019 in comparison to the five-year average. The Cambridge Police Department’s Crime Analysis Unit is expected to finalize a comprehensive view of last year’s figures when the 2019 annual crime report is published this spring. 

“I am very proud of these results, which reflect that Cambridge is safer today than it has been at any point in recent history,” said Cambridge Police Commissioner Dr. Branville G. Bard, Jr. “I am particularly pleased that gun violence was greatly curtailed in 2019, as we had no fatal shootings and our lowest number of non-fatal shooting victims in five years. I want to commend our Officers, who are deeply committed to working with the community to ensure that Cambridge is a safe and welcoming city. I also want to recognize our increasing number of community partners and the cooperation from our residents, who have enabled our Officers to proactively and responsively address public safety concerns.”

”The dedication and performance that the men and women of the Cambridge Police Department deliver every day are second to none,” said Cambridge City Manager Louis A. DePasquale. “This achievement is a reflection of the department’s strong leadership and the police force’s commitment to the community. It also reflects the department's deep commitment to their community partners, and the City Council’s consistent support of our recommendations for additional resources for the Cambridge Police Department.”

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*Serious crime refers to Part I “Index” crimes, seven serious crimes which the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program collects statistics on.