Crimes against property — which include thefts and burglaries — decreased by 20 percent this August in the Penn Patrol Zone, as compared to last year.
A total of 64 crimes against property were committed this August, compared to 80 in August 2013, Vice President for Public Safety Maureen Rush said. Burglaries dropped dramatically with only one reported this August, as compared to the 11 reported last August.
Another large crime decrease was in retail theft, which decreased by 64 percent. While there were only five retail thefts this August, there were 14 last year this same month. In the beginning of June, the Division of Pubic Safety targeted certain stores that were victims of multiple retail thefts, and DPS says that as a result, this targeting has drastically reduced the theft numbers.
Total crime dropped 19 percent this August, with 72 crimes reported this summer as opposed to the 89 crimes reported last August.
In the one forcible sex offense in August, someone came up behind a woman affiliated with the University and grabbed her without her permission. The Philadelphia Police Department plans to arrest the person who committed this crime, DPS said.
Theft from buildings also saw a decrease from last year, with 22 this August compared to 32 last year. This is partially due to DPS securing more doors and an increasingly alert population, Rush said.
Most building thefts were reported at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Presbyterian Hospital due to the fact that these buildings are open 24 hours a day.
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