The Cranky Taxpayer

First the geography: In the Police database, the Forest Hill Neighborhood runs from the Park to Westover Hills Blvd. and from Forest Hill Ave. to the River:

Warning: The data below by block are distorted in a few cases by counting only one side of the street on the boundary. For example, the data for the 4400 block of Forest Hill Ave. include only the odd numbers, i.e., those on the north side of the street.

Here are the offense counts for the Forest Hill Neighborhood for 1/1/00 through 4/30/08, sorted with the most numerous first. I have highlighted the drug, violent, and weapons offenses for emphasis.

Offense	Count
THEFT FROM MOTOR VEHICLE	361	32%
DESTRUCTION PROPERTY/PRIVATE PROPERTY	183	16%
ALL OTHER LARCENY	74	7%
MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT	66	6%
HIT AND RUN	59	5%
BURGLARY/B&E/RESIDENTIAL	50	4%
THEFT FROM BUILDING	46	4%
SUSPICIOUS SITUATION/PERSON	28	2%
NATURAL DEATH	24	2%
THEFT OF MOTOR VEHICLE PARTS/ACCESSORIES	24	2%
BURGLARY/B&E/COMMERCIAL	19	2%
SIMPLE ASSAULT	16	1%
DESTRUCTION PROPERTY/CITY PROPERTY	14	1%
SIMPLE ASSAULT, DOMESTIC	13	1%
ALL OTHER OFFENSES	11	1%
BURGLARY/B&E/OUTBUILDING	9
DRUG/NARCOTIC VIOLATION	9
OBSCENE/THREATENING PHONE CALL	9
ROBBERY/INDIVIDUAL	8
COURT DOCUMENTS	6
IMPERSONATION	6
TRESPASS OF REAL PROPERTY	6
INDECENT EXPOSURE	6
DRUNKENNESS	5
FORGERY BY CHECK	5
SHOOTING AT/WITHIN OCCUPIED DWELLING	5
FRAUD, CREDIT CARD	4
LOST / MISSING / SUSPICIOUS PROPERTY	4
THREATEN BODILY HARM	3
TAMPERING WITH AUTO	3
SUICIDE	3
AGGRAVATED ASSAULT	3
FOUND PROPERTY	3
ANNOYING PHONE CALLS	3
UNINTENTIONAL DEATH	3
WEAPON LAW VIOLATIONS	3
RECOVERED VEHICLE-STOLEN OTHER JURIS.	2
WEAPON LAW VIOLATIONS, CONCEALED WEAPON	2
KIDNAPPING/ABDUCTION	2
FORCIBLE RAPE	2
DESTRUCTION PROPERTY/PRIVATE/GRAFFITI	2
SHOPLIFTING	2
THEFT OF MOPED/OTHER VEHICLE TYPE	2
FORGERY BY CREDIT CARD	2
THROW MISSILE AT OCCUPIED DWELLING	2
STALKING	2
RUNAWAY	2
FALSE PRETENSES/SWINDLE/CONFIDENCE GAME	1
ROBBERY/BANK	1
BURGLARY	1
NON-REPORTABLE OFFENSES	1
ROBBERY/CARJACKING	1
DUI, ALCOHOL	1
FRAUD/FORGERY INCIDENT	1
DEATH BY DROWNING	1
ACCIDENTAL DEATH	1
OBSTRUCTING JUSTICE	1
FRAUD, ATM	1
PROMISCUOUS SHOOTING	1
DEATH INVESTIGATION (MATTER PENDING)	1
STOLEN PROPERTY OFFENSES	1
AGGR ASSAULT ATTEMPTED MURDER	1
SUDDEN DEATH	1
UNAUTHORIZED USE OF A MOTOR VEHICLE	1
PURSE SNATCHING	1
FORGERY/COUNTERFEITING/ALL OTHER	1
GAS DRIVE OFF	1
SEXUAL BATTERY	1
LOST / SUSPICIOUS PROPERTY	1
Grand Total	1138

You might notice the single promiscuous shooting report. If you live near the park, you know there's been a lot more than one instance of gunfire, especially before they installed the gates. Part of the discrepancy may reflect the problem of the vanishing 911 calls.

The Good News here is that the most numerous offenses are nonviolent. Property crimes dominate the list, as one might expect for a residential area. In fact, counting down the list, 82% of the offenses are in property crime categories reported more frequently than the most frequent violent offense, simple assault.

By far the most common offense (32% in this time frame) is "Theft from Motor Vehicle." That crime (and much of the property destruction that reflects broken car windows) would entirely disappear if we (and the people who visit in our neighborhood, see below) would lock our stuff in the trunk or take it into the house. Indeed, our bad habits in this respect have the unfortunate effect of chumming the neighborhood to attract criminals.

This is a particularly clear demonstration of the general proposition (one you will see stated elsewhere in these pages) that "they" (being the cops, the City, the federal government, the schools, or anybody else you choose to blame) are not responsible for solving our crime problem; we must do it.