FILE-A police officer unravels police tape at crime scene. (Aimee Dilger/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
ATLANTA, Ga. - According to a new study by the home security provider Vivint, the belief that crime mostly occurs at night is not necessarily true and is definitely not true in Atlanta.
The study, which analyzed data from over 1.3 million crimes in 13 major metropolitan areas during 2022, revealed that while crime rates spiked at midnight, they were nearly as high at noon and 5 p.m. Meanwhile, criminal activity was at its lowest from 1 to 7 a.m. Crime rates steadily rose from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., peaking at noon, then steadily falling through 11 p.m.
WHEN DOES CRIME OCCUR
- Atlanta: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (23.1%)
- Boston: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (24.4%)
- Chicago: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (21.1%)
- Dallas: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (22.7%)
- Detroit: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (19.8%)
- Los Angeles: Noon to 3 p.m. (21.7%)
- Miami/Fort Lauderdale: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (24.8%)
- New York: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (23.3%)
- Philadelphia: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (26.0%)
- Phoenix: Midnight to 3 a.m. (21.0%)
- San Francisco: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (22.5%)
- Seattle: Midnight to 3 a.m. (20.6%)
- Washington, D.C.: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (24.4%)
Vivint analyzed crime rates by the hour, as well as by city, and found that most metropolitan areas saw high rates of criminal activity in the afternoon through evening hours, with crime rates dropping during the night. However, there were exceptions to this trend. For example, in Atlanta, the peak times for crime were from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m., accounting for 23.1% of criminal activity. In Detroit, crime rates were highest from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., and in Phoenix and Seattle, crime spiked in the middle of the night, from midnight to 3 a.m.
WHEN CRIME HAPPENS IN ATLANTA
- 12 a.m. – 3 a.m.: 15.1%
- 4 a.m. – 7 a.m.: 6.9%
- 8 a.m. – 11 a.m.: 12.9%
- 12 p.m.- 3 p.m.: 19.2%
- 4 p.m. – 7 p.m.: 23.1%
- 8 p.m. – 11 p.m.: 22.8%
The study also revealed that crime rates in Philadelphia were high during all daytime and early evening hours, accounting for 74.6% of the city’s crime. Crime rates in Philly dropped by 66% after 8 p.m., and it had the least incident reports between 4-7 a.m., when many people are usually home asleep or just waking up to start their day.
USEFUL LINKS
Weekly Crime Reports (Atlanta Police Department)
WHAT TYPE OF CRIME HAPPENS DURING THE DAY?
The study also revealed that crimes like assault, burglary, fraud, drug crimes and car crimes were more likely to happen in the day and crimes like arson, sexual assault and battery often happen later at night.
- Arson: Midnight to 3 a.m. (27.6%)
- Assault: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (21.8%)
- Battery: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (19.9%)
- Burglary: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (20.4%)
- Criminal mischief/damage: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (21.1%)
- Drug/narcotics-related: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (26.3%)
- Fraud: Noon to 3 p.m. (27.4%)
- Harassment: Noon to 3 p.m. (23.8%)
- Larceny: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (23.8%)
- Motor vehicle-related: 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. (22.6%)
- Rape/sexual assault: Midnight to 3 a.m. (24.4%)
- Theft: Noon to 3 p.m. (25.2%)
- Weapons-related: 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. (26.4%)
For the fourth year in a row, Atlanta saw an increase in homicides in 2022. According to the Atlanta Police Department, there were 191 homicides in the city in 2022, a 12% increase from the previous year. However, aggravated assaults and reports of rape decreased citywide in 2022. Unfortunately, there was a significant increase in burglary calls and 5% increase in motor vehicle thefts.
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