Check Your Property Crime Stats for 2021

Even though property crime is still one of the most common forms of crime in the country, fortunately, it has been steadily decreasing in the United States over the last ten years. While, of course, this is good news, it still can’t guarantee that any property is in the clear. Those in the industry know it’s best to always plan for the worst.

Anyone in the property management industry knows how important it is to prioritize life safety above all else. A key aspect of that involves crime preparedness and response, which of course, requires a certain amount of awareness and knowledge about criminal activity in your surrounding areas. 

As part of Building Safety Month, we’re taking a look at some fundamental property crime statistics that all property managers should know, adding in some of our own crime prevention and crime response tips.

The Stats

Property crime covers a wide swath of criminal activity, including burglary, arson, theft, and vandalism. Did you know: pick-pocketing can fall under the category of property crimes? Not all property crimes are violent, but all are unsettling, can affect your tenants’ perceived comfort, and are worth looking out for.

Here are some of the latest:

Consider this compelling research, gathered and reported on by The Pew Research Center:

• Property crime has decreased by more than 50% since 1993.
• Cash is the most difficult (stolen) item to get back, having only a 2% recovery rate.
• Larceny-theft accounted for 72.5% of all property crimes in 2018.
• Motor vehicles have the highest chance of recovery at 59.1%.
• Just one-third (34%) of property crimes are reported to the police.

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Digging down further with the latest available statistics, according to the FBI:

•  An estimated $16.4 billion was lost due to various property crimes (excluding arson) in 2018.
  • Thefts from buildings account for the highest average value of all the stolen property at $1,610. — Policy Advice
• Albuquerque, New Mexico, is the US city with the highest rate of property crime at 7.3%.
  • Data collated from various property crime articles, including the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports and the 2017 US Census, reveal that Albuquerque, New Mexico, suffers the highest rate of overall property crime. It had 7,365.84 incidents per 100,000 people (7.3%) in 2017 and is also the city with the highest individual rate of motor vehicle theft. — Policy Advice
•   The city of Irvine, California, enjoys the lowest rate of property crime at 1.3%.
  • The city enjoys the lowest rate of overall property crime at only 1316.48 per 100,000 people (1.3%). — Policy Advice
• Making up almost three-quarters of the total, larceny-theft is the most common type of property crime, supporting the stats asserted above by The Pew Research Center.
  • Larceny-theft consistently ranks as one of the most common forms of property crime on a yearly basis. — Policy Advice

According to Gallup polls:

•  Surveys on property crimes and similar cases reveal 47% of Americans say they worry about crime and violence “a great deal.”
  • Almost half of all Americans worry about crime and violence a great deal according to a survey by Gallup. Only 25% said they worry about crime and violence “only a little” or “not at all.” Surprisingly, federal spending and affordable healthcare were rated as the biggest concerns amongst US citizens, even more so than hunger and homelessness. — Policy Advice
• 14% of households report having a home, car or other property vandalized.
  • Vandalism stats from a Gallup survey suggest that there may be an increasing trend in household victimization in the US. As many as 14% of survey respondents reported some form of vandalism in 2016. Another 17% reported property or money being stolen from members of their households. — Policy Advice 

According to Statista:

• There were 35,128 incidents of arson in the US in 2018.
  • Arson is one of the most common types of vandalism but accounts for only a small percentage of all property crimes, according to recent vandalism statistics. — Policy Advice
• The state of DC has the highest rate of property crime at 4.3%.
  • The rate of property crime in DC is 4,373.8 incidents per 100,000 citizens — or 4.3% of the population. New Mexico has the second-highest rate of property crime, with 3,419.7 incidents per 100,000 citizens (This makes sense with the above stat showing Albuquerque as the city with the highest crime rate). — Policy Advice
• New Hampshire is the state with the lowest rate of property crime at only 1.2%.
  • The property crime rate in New Hampshire is 1,248.5 incidents per 100,000 citizens — or 1.2% of the population. Massachusetts has the second-lowest rate of property crime with 1,263.3 incidents per 100,000 citizens (Looks like Irvine may be a city of exception in California, rather than the norm).– Policy Advice

Crime Prevention

You know the stats, but how can you do your part to prevent crime on your property? Here are some simple, overhead tips:

• Screen all tenants & require a crime-free lease addendum
• Become allies with your local police
• Hire a security expert
• Make upgrades to the property– keeping it clean and orderly
• Implement a neighborhood watch program

Get more details in our blog post on six ways to rid your property of crime.

Crime Response

Although your Kings III Emergency Communications system cannot prevent crime, it can help you get help in a crime situation — or any emergency. 

See how our customer, Kearny Real Estate, learned Kings III could be of help to them during an active shooter situation here.

Our service provides 24/7/365 state-of-the-art monitoring and dispatch services for elevators, pools, parking areas, and more. Our all-inclusive solutions include code-compliant installation and maintenance for all Kings III emergency telephone equipment

In the unfortunate situation of injured people on your property as a result of a crime, Kings III operators are in communication as Advanced Emergency Medical Dispatch certified (AEMD) professionals. This gives your tenants the advantage of step-by-step pre-arrival medical instructions until help arrives. This includes CPR, if needed. An AEMD certification meets and exceeds all national safety requirements, allowing for dedicated attention in any emergency. Find out more here.

You can listen to some actual calls handled by Kings III operators concerning various emergency situations on our videos page. 

Talk to a Kings III expert to find out more about how you can help to cover your property with consistent, quality, 24/7 safety protection.