Report: Pittsfield Experiences Most Violent August in Years

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — This August was the most violent August in the last five years.

 

While violent crime is still overall down trending compared to other years, August showed a massive upswing of 27 violent crimes — 69 percent more than the five-year average. The upswing is reversing a trend the Police Department saw with violent crime down and property crime up.

 

Aggravated assault topped the list of the most committed crime in Pittsfield with 20. In other months, there were as few as four aggravated assaults. 

 

There were also three arsons, two robberies and two rapes in August. Year to date, there have been 100 violent crimes committed in Pittsfield, which is 27 percent higher than this time last year.

 

"We were also seeing consistently fewer Violent Crimes this year compared to last, but for the past three months, we have drastically surpassed the number of similar crimes committed in 2013," reads a Police Department report on the month of August.

 

August showed an opposite trend from early in the year. In reports on the earlier months, property crime had been trending above average while violent crime was down. In recent months, the trend reversed and property crime is now trending at a rate less than last year.

 

"We started out the year showing a considerably higher rate of property crime occurring in the city compared to last year. Now we seem to be bridging the gap, as each month shows slightly less property crime being committed, comparatively," the report reads. 

 

"For example, in June, we had 19 percent more property crimes compared to the same time last year. In July, we had 11 percent more, and now, in August, we have only 8 percent more. If things continue in this direction, we should show an overall lower total number of property crimes in 2014 than we had in 2013."

 

As of the end of August, there was 950 property crimes committed compared to 878 at the same time last year. But, August saw 133 compared to last August's 126, which shows a downtrend in the yearly totals. Larceny is the most common crime with 81 in August compared to 77 last August.

 

July and August both saw a lower trend in property crime than average, which is bringing the year to date numbers closer to last year.