Nashville’s crime rate dropped by 2.3 percent last year. That makes the 5th consecutive year of decline – a 14 percent drop since 2003.
Homicide is the one major crime that didn’t see a decrease. 74 people were killed compared with 73 the year prior. Police chief Ronal Serpas says otherwise, indications are that crime is on a downward trend.
“Criminologists typically point to burglary as a crime to watch because there’s an insurance motive to report burglary. The numbers of burglaries in the city Nashville are at a 40 year low – from 1968.”
Geographically, crime dropped in every precinct but Hermitage, which saw a 10-percent increase. Serpas says most of that spike can be accounted for by a rash of burglaries committed by juveniles early last year.
Juveniles have been a trouble spot for Nashville. But in 2008, younger offenders accounted for a smaller percentage of the total arrests.
Download the 2008 crime report slide show here.
On Air - 90.3 WPLN-FM