People are reporting several types of crime more often to the Charleston Police Department, according to numbers released by the department Monday. Police believe the drug addiction crisis could be contributing to more crime, and that some residents are choosing to report crimes that might previously have gone unreported.
On Monday, the police department released the number of incidents reported in several crime categories for the years 2009 to 2015. The police department will report the numbers to the FBI.
Police released figures for murder, rape, robbery, malicious wounding, burglary/breaking and entering, larceny, breaking and entering into an automobile, and motor vehicle theft. Of those, robbery, malicious wounding, burglary/breaking and entering, breaking and entering into an automobile, and motor vehicle theft were the highest in 2015 of any year during the seven-year time span.
"We're seeing more people get hit over the head by people who appear to be looking for a quick way to get a hold of heroin," said Lt. Steve Cooper, chief of detectives, before adding that in most cases victims aren't chosen at random, but instead are known to suspects. "Along with the heroin epidemic, we've seen what comes across as desperation, which seems to be leading to a rise in robbery and theft."
Cooper also noted that the police department regularly holds community meetings during which officers encourage residents to file police reports.
"It's a theme that we hit consistently - please file police reports," he said, "and I think it's resonating."
Robbery reports increased from 129 in 2009 to 144 in 2015. The lowest number was 94 in 2012.
Malicious wounding reports increased from 89 in 2009 to 107 in 2012. The lowest number was 75 in 2014.
Burglary/B&E reports increased from 659 in 2009 to 768 in 2015. The lowest number was 644 in 2012.
Walter DeKeseredy, a criminologist at West Virginia University, said that the crime categories involving automobiles were likely the most accurate, because victims must report the crime for insurance purposes.
Breaking and entering into an automobile reports increased from 436 in 2009 to 528 in 2015. The lowest number of incidents during the time period was 400 in 2012. Motor vehicle theft increased from 197 in 2009 to 244 in 2015. The lowest number of incidents during the time period was 142 in 2012.
Cooper, meanwhile, said that many people weren't previously reporting car break-ins when nothing valuable was stolen, but officers had been urging residents to please file reports anyway.
"They were telling us at those meetings that they called their insurance companies and they didn't call us," Cooper said.
DeKeseredy, the Anna Deane Carlson Endowed Chair of Social Sciences at WVU and director of the Research Center on Violence at the school, cautioned that the numbers could signal only an increase in reporting, not an increase in crime.
"What these statistics tell us is that more people reported it," he said. "Now is that an accurate estimate [of crime]? No, there's probably more. But what it does tell us is that more people feel comfortable reporting to the police."
However, he also noted that crimes increase with poverty and drug use.
"Let's not forget too, though, that we can hypothesize or maybe speculate that the increase in poverty and unemployment in West Virginia is related to these incidents," he said. "But there's more than meets the eye ... I speculate that drugs might have something to do with it because West Virginia is now the heroin overdose capital of the United States."
Charleston Police Chief Brent Webster, when he heard DeKeseredy's thoughts, said, "I think it's all of the above."
"I think we're so engaged in the community right now," he said. "We're having so many community meetings. We're having the walking beats. ... I'd also have to say though with the addiction we're seeing with the heroin, that's going to account for a great deal of this."
DeKeseredy said the only way to know for sure whether crimes involving victims have increased will be to complete a victimization survey.
WVU is working with the state Division of Justice and Community Services on the state's first victimization survey. DeKeseredy said they hope to begin surveying this summer.
The statistics also show that crime is more likely to be reported from the West District of Charleston, versus the East and South districts. There were 4 murders reported in the West District in 2015, compared to 3 in the East District and zero in the South District. There were 27 rapes reported in the West District, compared to 16 in the East District and 11 in the South District. There were 66 robberies reported in the West District, versus 58 in the East District and 20 in the South District. There were 55 malicious woundings in the West District, compared to 37 in the East District and 15 in the South District. For burglaries/B&E, it was 409 in the west, 149 in the east and 209 in the south. For breaking and entering into an automobile, it was 236 in the west, versus 144 in the east and 148 in the south. For motor vehicle theft, it was 134 in the west, versus 56 in the east and 54 in the south.
Larcenies were less likely to be reported from the West District. For larcenies, it was 571 in the west, 667 in the east, and 635 in the south. The exact boundaries of each district were unclear.
Reach Erin Beck at erin.beck@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-5163, Facebook.com/erinbeckwv, or follow @erinbeckwv on Twitter.