Been looking over the maps provided by the police department at the Arbor District crime meeting last month. Speaking of which, most of the meeting consisted of requests for more information from the C'dale police department regarding crimes occurring within the city and more info on the sources of crime statistics provided by the department, as the stats provided don't appear to jibe with the statistics found by some of the speakers in the audience. The first problem is starting to get addressed as the police department now puts info about weekend crimes on its website, rather than just relying on their media phone line.
The maps provided at the meeting showing reported criminal incidents by location are rather distorted, expecilly in the case of The Crossings trailer court, which has reports of criminal incidents every weekend. However, there is only one spot in the area marked on the map for such this as criminal sexual assault, theft, and aggravated battery. When I checked at the Planning Office, I found that incidents at The Corssings were all loaded onto one address, so a dozen reports of theft would still only show up at one spot.
Looking at the maps, some interesting things stand out. For one, robbery is not that common in Carbondale. those incidents showing up on the map are concentrated on West College, downtown and the six blocks east of the railroad tracks. It's hard to beleive, but according to the map,The Crossings has no robberies.
On the other hand to avoid criminal sexual assault, you want to stay out of The Crossings area and off West Cherry. Of the dozen incidents shown on the map, over half are within 2 blocks of Hwy 13.
Aggravated battery is found all over student residential areas and the eastern side of the city, esp. in the northeastern residential areas.
Lots of reports of burglary in the downtown area again, esp. along University Avenue, with a large number also occuring in the northwestern residential seciton of town. Suprisingly, nothing showing in the Arbor District area.
Ah, here's why. If you look at residential burglaries, with the city apparently classifies as different from a regular burglary, the map shows especially heavy concentrations in the Arbor District and the southeastern sudent resdiential areas, but they are found in residential areas all over the city.
Burglaries from motor vehicles are common all over the city as well but are especially heavy in the area south of 13 between S. Oakland and S. Wall.
Theft occurs all over the city, but theres a suprisingly high number of thefts over $300 in the relavely small area bounded by S. Forrest, West College, West Cherry and S. Illinois. I count about a dozen incidents and no other area has quite that large anumber in such a small area. It looks like about 90% of all motor vehicle theft takes place east of S. Illinois.
Not a lot of reports of criminal trespass, but what there are look to take place mainly in the student resdiential areas.
Not a lot of reports of unlawful uses or possessions of weapons or firearms either, which the city appaently classifices as two different things. According to the maps, just stay north of 13 and out of downtown and you'll be OK.
Thank you. These numbers look much more believable than the claims made by some Arbor District residents.
ReplyDeleteThe maps aren't that great. As I noted in the post, the way incidents are loaded on them makes it look as if there is only one incident in the Crossings area, and I really can't tell if that procedure was repeated in other area.
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