Health
Breast & Cervical Cancer
Rental Housing
Violent Crime
Self-Sufficiency
Basic Needs
Physical Activity
Nutrition
Minorities
Mental Health
Childhood Immunizations
Heart Disease
Health Care Coverage
Feeling Well
Traffic Crashes
Communicable Diseases
|
Why This Measure?
Violent crime includes
homicide (willful, non-negligent killing), rape (forcibly, and of a female
only, including both sexual assaults and attempts by force),
aggravated assault (attack with intent to inflict severe bodily injury), and any robbery involving force or threat of force. Many social and
personal factors tie into any violent crime, most notably abuse of alcohol and other
drugs. The crime rate is a leading concern when people think about quality of life in a
community. Can we leave our doors unlocked? Are the children safe walking to school?
Public perception of crime rates is not always accurate. Crime makes compelling
news stories, which can build community fear that is simply not justified by
actual data.
Lead Indicators
Reported Violent Crime in Missoula County
Source: Crime in Montana 1996, Montana Board of Crime Control
Trend Worse Data Rating Availablevvv Reliablevv Relevantvvv
How are we doing?
The number of violent crimes in Missoula County has
increased over the past few years. In 1998, our violent crime rate
(265/100,000 people) was worse than the state as a whole (224/100,000) and
second highest of the larger Missoula counties (Crime In Montana,
1998). Still our numbers are less than half of the national rate
of 566/100,000. It is, however, also worth remembering that many rapes go unreported.
Anytime we use crime statistics as indicators, we are measuring both the number of crimes
reported and the emphasis local law enforcement places on that particular type of
crime. Many social and environmental factors influence the type and volume of crimes
reported, including the community’s density, size, and demographics, the strength of
law enforcement agencies, and public and judicial attitudes toward laws and their
enforcement. Comparison with state rates depend on the quality of
reporting which still varies from community to community.
A Comparison of Violent Crime Rates, 1998
Per 100,000 persons*
|
|
Missoula County
|
Montana
|
U. S.
|
|
Homicide
|
4
|
2
|
6
|
|
Rape
|
47
|
29
|
34
|
|
Robbery
|
49
|
29
|
165
|
|
Aggrav. Assault
|
164
|
164
|
361
|
* Crime rates are based on populations as
estimated by each reporting jurisdiction.
If a jurisdiction does not report its crimes in a given year, the
local population is omitted from that year’s comprehensive statistics.
Source:
Calculated by MCCHD Health Promotion Division from
data supplied by the MT Board of Crime Control.
City Versus
County-Only Statistics
Comparison
of Violent Crime by Jurisdiction
Missoula
City Police v. Missoula County Sheriff
|
|
1991
|
1992
|
1993
|
1994
|
1995
|
1996
|
1997
|
1998
|
1999
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Homicide – City
|
2
|
0
|
1
|
0
|
3
|
2
|
3
|
2
|
5
|
|
Homicide
– County
|
3
|
2
|
1
|
2
|
2
|
3
|
1
|
2
|
0
|
|
Rape – City
|
14
|
37
|
14
|
20
|
14
|
38
|
26
|
26
|
37
|
|
Rape
– County
|
20
|
52
|
27
|
29
|
21
|
23
|
16
|
16
|
23
|
|
Robbery – City
|
14
|
24
|
22
|
15
|
29
|
21
|
17
|
39
|
49
|
|
Robbery
– County
|
1
|
3
|
4
|
7
|
7
|
8
|
4
|
5
|
7
|
|
Aggravated Assault
– City
|
40
|
58
|
35
|
53
|
76
|
75
|
72
|
118
|
175
|
|
Aggravated
Assault - County
|
46
|
53
|
63
|
60
|
75
|
48
|
57
|
27
|
24
|
Source: Missoula Police
Dept., Missoula County Sheriffs Dept., May 2000
"Homicide rates in the U.S. far exceed
those in any other industrialized nation. For other violent crimes, rates in the U.S. are
among the world’s highest and substantially exceed rates in Canada, our nearest
neighbor in terms of geography, culture, and crime reporting. Among 16 industrialized
countries surveyed in 1988, the U.S. had the highest prevalence rates for serious sexual
assaults and for all other assaults including threats of physical harm." (Understanding
and Preventing Violence 1993)
Other Crime Measures
The overall crime rate counts
burglary, larceny, and car theft along with the violent crimes (homicide, rape,
robbery, and aggravated assault). These
crimes are used because of their serious nature, the frequency of occurrence,
and the reliability of reporting. In
1998, Missoula County’s overall crime rate was 5,621 per 100,000 people,
compared to 4,799 in the state (Crime in
Montana) and 4,616 nationally (MT Board of Crime Control).
Our rate is lower than either Cascade or Yellowstone counties.
What also needs stating is that larceny, defined by Montana law as the
unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of the property of another,
accounts for 80 percent of Montana’s index (“serious”) crimes in 1998 (79
percent in 1997) (Crime in Montana).
While most analysis is based on
the above seven crimes (“index crimes”), the majority of criminal activity
affecting Missoula area residents are more likely to be offenses such as
vandalism, traffic concerns, etc. (Pete Lawrenson, Missoula Police Dept.).
Homicide
1998 homicide rates: Missoula
County 4/100,000 persons; national rate is 6/100,000 (MT Board of Crime
Control); the rate for the state of Montana is 2/100,000 (Crime
in Montana). For the last five
years, our homicide rate has been 5/100,000.
Nationally, 42% of murders take place during
arguments, and 78% of murder victims are killed by someone they know. (FBI, Crime in
the United States 1993)
Homicide in Missoula County
Sources: Missoula Police Department & Missoula County Sheriffs Dept.
Rape and Aggravated
Assault
Rape
in Missoula County
Source: Missoula City
Police; Missoula County Sheriffs, May 2000
Aggravated
Assault in Missoula County
Source: Missoula City
Police; Missoula County Sheriffs, May 2000
Firearms
A gun in the home is 43 times
more likely to kill a family member or friend than it is to be used in self-defense. Using
a gun is the easiest and fastest way to kill someone. Guns are five times more deadly than
knives. A person does not need to be intent on homicide or even particularly angry to kill
with a gun. A person with a gun does not have to struggle with the victim, or even touch
or get near the victim, to kill him or her. (Firearm Facts, Children’s Safety
Network)
Between 1979-1997, gunfire killed nearly 80,000 children and teens in the
United States; an additional 320,000 children were wounded. Children under
fifteen are twelve times more likely to die from gunfire than children in 25
other industrialized countries combined.
Missoula County Victim Assistance
Program
Montana Law provides for the fair and proper treatment of victims in the criminal
justice system. Victims of crime have basic rights that are protected by law. Accordingly,
the Missoula Victim Assistance Program, administered by the Office of Planning &
Grants, provides advocacy services to victims of violent personal crime in Missoula. The
program is funded by grants from the Montana Board of Crime Control, the OJP stop Violence
Against Women Office, and local government support.
Crime Victims’ Advocates are available in the City and County Attorneys’
Offices and the Rural Outreach (SSTEP) Office in Seeley Lake to advocate on behalf of
victims with all facets of the criminal justice system. Advocates build relationships with
victims by providing support and information, safety planning, crisis counseling,
notification of victims’ rights, accompaniment to court proceedings, and helping with
the process of filing for orders of protection. Advocates explain criminal justice
procedures, accompany victims to make police reports and have pictures taken, and to
witness statements. A new community education effort to provide information to bystanders
or witnesses of domestic violence about what is helpful to victims, how to intervene with
perpetrators, how to keep victims safe, and how to hold offenders accountable has begun
recently. The program also does outreach to "under-served" communities to
educate about domestic violence, to do community organizing against violence, and to
improve access to the criminal justice system. To date, many brochures and handouts about
domestic violence and child abuse have been translated into Hmong and Russian by staff of
the Refugee Assistance Center.
Advocates in the City Attorney’s Office at 435 Ryman in Missoula (523-4630) are
available to provide assistance with orders of protection and advocacy for cases
prosecuted by the City Attorney. Advocates in the County Attorney’s Office at 200 W.
Broadway in Missoula (523-4840) are available to provide assistance with cases prosecuted
by the County Attorney’s Office. Rural Advocates in the SSTEP Program in Seeley Lake
(677-3177) are available to assist rural victims.
In Fiscal Year 1999, the three Crime Victims’ Advocates, three CVA Assistants, 10
volunteer advocates (at any given time), and one intern provided services to 2,549 primary
and secondary victims in Missoula City and County. Assistance with obtaining a temporary
order of protection was provided to 420 victims, more than half of whom were also
represented by a pro bono attorney. Crisis counseling was provided to 424 victims,
information and referral to 1,424, assistance with Victims’ Compensation to 1,878,
and extended criminal justice system support and advocacy was provided to 518 victims.
|
