Everyone can relax now; crime rates in Norman, the hipster capital of the south metro, are down!
The rampant aggravated assault, forcible rape, murder, robbery, burglary, arson, motor vehicle theft and larceny known as Part 1 crimes have lessened, or they sort of have. Were no experts, but we assume it depends on how well you can interpret statistics.
Police chief Keith Humphrey recently told The Norman Transcript any crime reduction, especially violent crime, is a good thing.
There were 5,139 Part 1 crimes recorded in Norman in 2015 and 4,306 in 2016. While 833 fewer crimes is definitely a good thing, not all crime has decreased.
The Norman Transcript reported that the Norman Police Department recorded 194 assaults, 52 rapes and four murders and 2015 and 186 aggravated assaults, 56 rapes and two murders in 2016. So, again, were no experts, but maybe Norman has gotten a tad more rapey.
And though individual numbers are down over the past year, aggravated assault has steadily claimed a greater percent of crimes in the suburb over the last few years.
So while the city focuses on charging Friendly Market store manager and Norman City Council member Stephen Tyler Holman with possessing or selling drug paraphernalia, the numbers of reported rapes and aggravated assaults are climbing.
Our vision is to serve Norman through the applications of our values, community leadership and innovation of problem solving, Humphrey told The Norman Transcript. We want Norman to be the safest place in America, and every employee in this department strives for that.
Thats a good start.
Print headline: Less crime