Cambridge Police Department's 2015 Annual Crime Report Highlights Historically Low Levels

Crime in the City of Cambridge dropped for the fifth consecutive year and to the lowest levels since 1963, according to the 2015 Annual Crime Report published by the Cambridge Police Department’s Crime Analysis Unit.  In 2015, serious (property and violent) crime in the City declined by one percent to 2,854 crimes, down 16 from the previous low of 2,870 crimes recorded in 2014. This marks only the second time that the total has dropped below 3,000 incidents. For context, crime peaked in the City of Cambridge in 1974 with more than 10,000 crimes. 

Violent crime increased by one reported incident in 2015 compared to 2014’s historic lows, while property crime decreased by one percent to unprecedented lows.  Among property crimes, burglaries increased the most significantly, from 286 incidents to 438 incidents. That figure is up 10 percent versus the five-year average.

“The historic low crime numbers in 2015 reflect a number of factors, including the outstanding work conducted on a daily basis by our officers, the collaborations we have formed with organizations throughout the community, and the responsiveness and support from our residents,” said Commissioner Christopher J. Burke, Cambridge Police Department. “Additionally, these figures also indicate the success we are having with a number of programs and initiatives such as the Safety Net Collaborative, Focused Deterrence, Multi-Disciplinary Outreach, and our overall community outreach.”   

The Annual Crime Report provides a comprehensive overview of crime comparisons, trends and details associated by crime type and geography (national, regional, citywide and neighborhood). Special reports are provided on domestic, hate, homeless, juvenile and school crimes. The report also outlines a number of ways in which residents and visitors can learn to protect themselves.

To review and download the complete report, please visit http://camb.ma/2015CPDAnnual.

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The Cambridge Police Department is committed to the enforcement of laws and preservation of order that protect the rights and property of every person within the City of Cambridge. Our mission is to provide the highest quality of police service and to impact crime, and its associated elements, through the utilization of new and proven crime prevention strategies and problem-solving partnerships with our community.  For more information, follow @CambridgePolice on Twitter, or access the department’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/CambridgePolice.