Reaching the halfway point in the year, East Boston has experienced a decrease in Part One Crime so far in 2019, according to statistics released by the Boston Police Department earlier this month.
According to statistics released by the Boston Police that compares Jan. 1, 2018 through July 21, 2018 with the same time period for 2019 overall Part One Crime is down 25 percent in Eastie.
There were 99 less Part One crimes reported when comparing the same period in 2018 with 2019. In total so far this year there have been only 292 Part One crimes compared to the 391 incidents that occurred between the same time frame in 2018.
In 2018 there were 130 larcenies reported, but that number has dropped to 100 so far this year.
Community Officer Dan Simons said there was also a huge decrease in robbery and attempted robberies. In 2018 there were 54 reports of robbery and attempted robberies. That number has dropped to just 26 this year.
Residential burglaries also dropped with 39 occuring in 2018 and 28 occurring so far this year.
Larceny from a motor vehicle has also dropped from 58 incidents in the same time period in 2018 to 47 in 2019 and auto theft dropped from 23 to 20.
However, domestic aggravated assault has increased from 22 to 25 while non-domestic aggravated assault dropped from 49 to 23.
Rape or attempted rape dropped so far this year when compared to 2018 with 12 incidents last year compared to six this year.
However, commercial burglaries rose from 3 to 16 when comparing the same time period in 2018 to 2019.
District A-7 Officer Dan Simons pointed out that the commercial breaks sometimes spike especially when there is one suspect hitting numerous businesses.
For example, one thief is on the loose and responsible for several break-ins at popular restaurants in Orient Heights Square.
The thief first struck on July 1 at night long after Orient Heights Square restaurants and bars are closed. The suspect broke into Renegades on Bennington Street and later hit Luna Restaurant on Saratoga Street across from Noyes Field.
The suspect returned on July 5 and hit Renegades for a second time.
“Our detectives are working on this case and have good video of the suspect and identified him as a person of interest,” said District A-7 Community Officer Dan Simons.
Simons said that the suspect is described as a white male driving a dark-colored pick-up truck.
Simons said community members wishing to assist this investigation anonymously can do so by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word ‘TIP’ to CRIME (27463). The Boston Police Department will stringently guard and protect the identities of all those who wish to help this investigation in an anonymous manner.
Simons added that crime in Eastie has been on a downward spiral since 2009.
Ten years ago Eastie had 1,322 incidents of Part One Crimes and in 2018 that number dropped dramatically and the total was only 658 total Part One crimes.