When it comes to crime among Connecticut’s three most populous cities Bridgeport’s crime rate is lower than Hartford and New Haven, according to the latest report on national crime statistics issued by CQ Press, a publisher of reference material on government and political issues. CQ this week released its 2012 crime rate rankings list that validates the general historical trend of Bridgeport’s crime rate lower than Hartford and New Haven.
Sometimes perception can be reality. Ask folks which city has the highest crime rate in Connecticut and almost always the answer is Bridgeport. Ask folks what is Connecticut’s largest city and they will generally say Hartford.
CQ Press lists rankings from low crime rate to high and includes 432 U.S. cities based on a population of 75,000 and higher. Danbury CT comes in at 106 on the national rankings list, placing it first among Connecticut cities with the lowest crime rate. Down on the list is Bridgeport at 404, Hartford at 411 and New Haven at 418. Comparing crime rates can be a subjective thing. Want to compare apples to apples? It’s Bridgeport, Hartford and New Haven, albeit with statistical crime rates above the national average, according to the CQ report.
CQ Press writes: “Presenting both data and context, in both alphabetical and rank order for all U.S. metro areas and cities with a population of 75,000 or more, City Crime Rankings 2013 translates complicated and often convoluted statistics into meaningful, useful, and easy to understand information.”
Researchers, legislators, policy analysts, journalists, and community members, according to CQ, can access up-to-date statistics about specific cities, comparing them against other cities across the country.
Highest crime rates in the country, according to the CQ report, in order from highest: Camden, NJ, Detroit, MI, Flint, MI, St. Louis, MO, Oakland, CA, Cleveland, OH, Gary, IN, Birmingham, AL, New Orleans, LA, Newark, NJ.
CQ Press used reported data from the F.B.I. “Crime in the United States 2011.” It Includes murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, and motor vehicle theft. A negative score (in parentheses) indicates a composite crime number below the national rate, a positive number is above the national rate.
2012 crime rate rankings here.
Crime rate rankings by population categories here.
Read Methodology here.
News release about folks who compile and publish information here.
It’s nice to see Bridgeport is not #1 in crime in the state. Does that make me feel any safer? NO it doesn’t.
We still only have 21 patrolmen on duty at any one time. The PD no longer responds to quality of life issues such as vandalism, stolen cars and the like.
Do I blame the patrolmen for this? No I don’t. I blame the chief and his 4 deputy chiefs for their mismanagement of police resources. I wonder why the PD is $3.5 million over their budget for overtime. Where did that money go?
The city police dept web site page is sadly lacking, so I created very comprehensive pages on all things crime and safety in Bridgeport on my web site with: crime stats, how to start a block watch, how to file a police complaint, lots more including a Bridgeport Block Watchers Facebook page.
Here is the link to Crime and Safety in Bridgeport:
bridgeportintheknow.com/Safety.htm
It is still way too high.
Word is there is a rash of car thefts in Black Rock. It is time for Finch to get rid of his bloated staff like his PR crew so we can have more Blue on the streets protecting our safety and personal property.
Hey, how about the woman who was robbed at the corner of Madison Ave. and Frank St. yesterday at 5pm? Didn’t the crooks know it is illegal to have an unregistered weapon? And that’s a felony in Connecticut.