Published in the October 3, 2016 edition.
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – Violent crime in Wakefield was up in 2015, while property crime was down from 2014, according to statistics just released by the FBI in its Uniform Crime Report (UCR). The local statistics are consistent with national and regional trends.
There were 52 violent crimes in Wakefield in 2015, a 21 percent increase over 2014 when 43 violent crimes were reported in town. In the report, violent crime includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault.
Property crime incidents in Wakefield declined to 209 in 2015 from 277 in 2014, a drop of 24 percent. In the UCR statistics, property crime is defined as burglary, larceny-theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.
Breaking down the violent crime category, there were two instances of murder and non-negligent homicide in Wakefield in 2015, up from zero in 2014. There were eight rapes reported in 2015, an increase from the 2014 total of five. Wakefield reported 38 aggravated assaults in 2015, up from 32 the previous year. Robberies bucked the upward trend in violent crimes, with four reported in Wakefield in 2015, compared to six in 2014.
In the property crime category, there were 47 burglaries in 2015 down slightly from 50 in 2014. The biggest drop was in larceny/theft, with 145 in 2015 compared to 218 in 2015. There were more motor vehicle thefts in 2015 with 17 reported, compared to nine in 2014. There were no arsons reported in 2015, down from one the previous year.
The Wakefield statistics mirror national trends, as the FBI showed a 3.9 percent increase nationwide in the estimated number of violent crimes in 2015 and a 2.6 percent decrease in the estimated number of property crimes last year when compared to 2014 data.
Wakefield Police Chief Rick Smith says that Wakefield is not unique in seeing an increase in certain types of crime.
“The entire metro north region has, for the most part, seen an increase,” Smith said.
There is a common denominator, in Chief Smith’s view, that is driving the increase.
“Regionally this is, from our estimation, due to the increase in opiates and other drugs on the street,” Smith said. “Drugs drive crime, sometimes violent crime. The important take-away from this is that we continue to battle the drug crime wave, even as we see more and more people who think it can’t happen to them.
“Opiates have changed the way of life in many of our communities,” Smith added. “So, people ask, ‘How do we get this under control?’ We will continue to fight the fight but on the back end we need to do a better job of educating people as well as ensuring those addicted can get the treatment they need.”
But it’s not just opiates, Smith stressed.
“Another issue is the public acceptance of marijuana,” Smith said. “More and more people are leaning toward the commercialization of marijuana. The facts show that our youth exhibit more bad behavior since the social acceptance of marijuana.”
Question 4 on the Nov. 8 Election ballot will ask Massachusetts residents to legalize marijuana for recreational use and commercial sale.
