Think tank suggests high level of poverty reason for Laconia's relatively high crime rates, for N.H.

LACONIA — According to a report by the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies, between 2006 and 2010 the city posted the highest rate of property and second highest rate of violent crime among the 28 municipalities with 10,000 or more residents. The study suggests that crime figures reflect a relatively high level of poverty and low level of education in the community.

Dennis Delay, who with Steve Norton, director of the center, prepared the report said that the crime rates, which represent the number of offenses per capita or per 100,000 people, reflect the five year average of data drawn from the Uniform Crime Report compiled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Department of Justice. Not since 1993, when the Department of Safety issued a report, has the state released a comprehensive statistical crime report.

"Our numbers are high for the size of our population," said Police Chief Chris Adams, who has tracked the statistics closely for much of the past decade. "The number of certain types of crime — assaults, domestic violence and burglaries — are high and that's how it's been for a long time."

Alcohol and drug abuse, he emphasized, are major contributors to much of the crime in the city."

The violent crime rate includes murder, nonnegligent manslaughter, forcible rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Laconia's violent crime rate of 319.9 was exceeded only by Manchester, with more than six times the population, and 30-percent below the national average of 459.3. The city posted the highest rate for forcible rape — 64.4 — and second highest for aggravated assault — 199.3. The rate for robbery of 55.0 was about a third that of Manchester but one of just five above 50.

The property crime rate includes burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft. At 4,273.2 the property crime rate in the city easily topped the list, with Lebanon trailing at 3,510.9, and was more than 30-percent above the national average of 3,225.1. Laconia had the highest rate of larceny at 3,488.4, second highest rate of burglary at 642.1 and fourth highest rate of vehicle theft at 142.8.

Despite these relatively high crime rates, the number of violent and property crimes has flucuated since 1985 without a reflecting a sustained trend either up or down. Violent crimes have varied from a high 0f 97, including 62 forcible rapes in 1993, to a low of 21 in 1999 while property crimes peaked at 1,221 in 1986 and reached a low of 523 in 199. In the five years from 1985 to 1989, violent crimes averaged 58 a year and property crimes 1,008 a year compared to 55 and 729 a year between 2006 and 2010.

Adams said that the rising and falling incidence of crime was normal. "Crime goes up and comes down," he remarked. "Like the weather." He also cautioned that different jurisdictions report crime statistics differently and some crimes are not reported at all, which may make strict comparisons difficult.

Analysing the relationship between crime rates and economic and demographic factors, the authors of the report found a strong correlation between the incidence of crime and the levels of poverty and education. Eliminating Durham, Hanover and Keene, college towns with large student populations and high poverty rates, Laconia posted the highest poverty rate — 14.1-percent — among the 25 remaining municipalities of 10,000 or more, trailed by Manchester, Claremont, Rochester and Concord, all of which with poverty rates in double digits. Likewise. only three municipalities — Claremont, Rochester and Raymond — had a smaller portion of residents with a college degree than Laconia, where college graduates represented 21.5-percent of adult residents.

"It's good to have these numbers out there," Adams said. Recalling the spate of overdose deaths several years ago, he said "we became too tolerant instead of being outraged." Since then, he continued, "the community has come together." He referred several local initiatives to promote greater tolerance of diversity and discourage substance abuse. "This is a good opportunity for the community to seize the moment," he said.