The Lima Police Department has released their 2020 crime numbers, and it shows both a positive and negative aspect when compared to years past.
Comparing 2020 offenses (which include criminal homicide, forcible rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny-theft, and motor vehicle theft) with 2019 offenses shows an overall decrease in numbers. In 2020, 2485 offenses were reported, which is down 252 offenses compared to 2019, which had 2737 offenses.
The numbers show a 9.21% decrease when comparing overall crime rates in 2019 to 2020.
"Overall our crime numbers went down, which is excellent," said Major Patrick Coon of the Lima Police Department. "Unfortunately, the offenses of violence went up"
Homicides in the city of Lima increased by more than 50% from 2019 to 2020. A total of 13 homicides was reported in 2020, compared to 6 in 2019.
The worrying numbers continue when you compare them over a ten-year period. The 13 reported in 2020 is currently the highest in the period of 2010-2020, with the second highest being eight in 2016. The lowest reported homicides in the City of Lima was one in 2011.
Of those homicides in 2020, nine were classified as Murder/Non-Negligent Manslaughter, and the other four were classified as Manslaughter by Negligence.
"To put it bluntly, it's terrible," said Major Coon. "To lose one person to a homicide in a year is terrible. We should not be losing anybody. Each and every one of them is a tragedy."
Comparing overall crime rates over a ten-year period shows a decrease from 2010-2020. 2010 had a total of 3,923 offenses. The amount of change of offenses from 2010-2020 is reported at 1,438 (a 36.66% decrease).
Major Coon says that it's difficult to learn much from the report going into 2021, as factors such as the pandemic and closures had to be taken into account.
"One thing you learn is that you never set on your laurels and trust that they will continue to go down... you got to continue to work with the neighborhoods and the people within our community to make those numbers stay down."
