New crime data released by the state Monday morning show a small increase in murders last year in Connecticut. At the same time, the number of violent crimes and property crimes declined year over year.
Over the last 10 years, the report notes that overall crime in Connecticut has fallen 30%, including a 43% reduction in violent crime and a 29% reduction in property crime.
State Public Safety Commissioner James Rovella said Monday that he was particularly pleased to see that aggravated assault numbers were down in 2021 compared to the prior year.
“These are the assaults committed by hands, bats, knives, nonfatal shootings, They’re down dramatically,” Rovella said at a news conference.
State data show that the number of aggravated assaults fell by about 600 incidents in 2021, compared to 2020. Since 2016, state data show that aggravated assault numbers in Connecticut have dropped each year. Connecticut’s rate of aggravated assaults has been below national numbers dating back to 2012, according to the report.
Some crime statistics returned to normal in 2021, after changes the year before. During the first year of the pandemic in 2020, there was a spike in vehicle thefts and a large decrease in reports of rape. Both of those figures are now more in line with other recent years.
Rovella said the change in the number of sexual assaults reported may have been caused by a decrease in reports from victims in the first year of the pandemic.
“The crime of rape is up 23.2%, and we’ve been digging a bit on why this is occurring,” Rovella said. “We believe part of it, if not a lot of it, is a reporting issue. Some victims take some time to report it to us.”
Incidences of reported rape in Connecticut have still tracked below national averages annually every year since 2013, according to the report.
The number of property crimes like burglary or motor vehicle thefts declined compared to 2020, when a spike in car thefts drew concern from state GOP leaders about juvenile crime. The Accountability Project at Connecticut Public published an analysis of years of state data last year that found violent carjackings in Connecticut remain incredibly rare.
The topic became a campaign issue in the race for governor.
State Republican lawmakers issued a statement Monday reacting to the report’s findings and urging the legislature to do more to support families and young people. Republicans also say they want more support for police officers and police recruitment, priorities outlined in the GOP’s law enforcement agenda. Gov. Ned Lamont issued a statement calling on stakeholders to work together to increase public safety.
Connecticut Public Radio’s Cassandra Basler and Patrick Skahill contributed to this report.
