Crime in Hartford

A concise overview of the effects and conclusions of crime rates in the capital city Hartford, Connecticut.

Sam Chen

Hartford is on pace to have perhaps its most violent year in nearly two decades after recording 20 murders through the first six months of 2021, almost as many homicides in half a year as the capital city saw in each of the past three full years.

Hartford, Connecticut. It is the core city in the Greater Hartford metropolitan area. Census estimates since the 2010 United States census have indicated that Hartford is the fourth-largest city in Connecticut with a 2020 population of 121,054. Hartford, Connecticut has seen increasing levels of criminality over recent years with burglary and larceny being two of the most reported violations within this county. Violent activities including homicides are rare however due to proactive measures taken by local authorities. Discussing these crime issues specifically, can have a great impact on the rest of the state, country, and even globally, as we can reanalyze how to effectively utilize our tax dollars to promote public safety and reduce crime, which would in turn increase productivity, and more importantly the quality of life for citizens.

Thus this article will focus upon crime and public safety, which fall under the sustainable development goals established by the United Nations. Specifically, goal 11 (sustainable cities & communities) and 16 (peace, justice, & strong institutions). Not only is it important for a positive quality of life, it also promotes the other SDGs, such as reduced inequalities and no poverty, as well as economic growth.

In my research, the investigation of Hartford is a mere glance of what is possible to bring to cities and towns across the world, but there must be a start, so this initial exploration of a capital city, that has greater crime rates despite the declining rates over the rest of the state in recent years, serves as a prime example.

This map is an overview of the different neighborhoods in Hartford as well as the number of crimes committed within each one within the year of 2021.

This is a map of Hartford, CT including the names and boundaries of the neighborhood within the city as well as the number of crimes committed within each neighborhood in the past year. This data shows the crimes rates and where they are being committed allowing for analysis of the cause and a solution. This data also allows for further comparisons with other factors, such as education or wealth within each neighborhood, that can show the link between them and provide an understanding of the scope of the situation.

The chance of becoming a victim of either violent crime in Hartford is 1 in 208 and the chances of becoming a victim of a property crime is 1 in 46, which for comparison the respective rate nationally is, 1 in 250 for becoming a victim of a violent crime, and approximately 1 in 53 for becoming a victim of property crime. Additionally, based upon FBI crime data, Hartford is not one of the safest communities in America. In fact, relative to the rest of Connecticut, Hartford has a crime rate that is higher than 89% of the state’s cities and towns of all sizes.

Although these crime statistics do not seem too abhorrent when compared to the national averages, we do have to understand that the number of crimes per square mile in Hartford is at an astounding 177, while the national median is at 26.8, and the rest of Connecticut averaging about 18 crimes, which indicates that there must be a huge about the way crime is currently being handled around the major city. This large density of crimes indicates that currently, resources for public safety and crime prevention are not being used to their maximum efficiency.

Additionally, there seems to be a link within the poverty rates and crime rates throughout the neighborhoods, as areas such as the Northeast, Frog Hollow, and Barry Square see both high rates of crime and poverty. This is not uncommon as there has been a general consensus on the link between the two.

% of People in Hartford, CT Below in the Poverty Line (Within the Last 12 Months). Source: US Census Bureau

Another look at the poverty issue. This is a map of Hartford, CT showing the population of households whose income in the past twelve months is between 50 to 99 percent of the federal average income of about $58,563 a year. This map allows for a comparison of crime and poverty rates, as well as the correlation between poverty and economic instability/lack of growth.

In general the effects of poverty are profound and far-reaching, weighing on people’s overall happiness and rendering life less satisfying for people across lines of race and geography in Hartford.

The results of the “ WellBeing Survey ,” administered to more than 16,000 state residents, paints a picture of Connecticut in which many have access to the trappings of the modern economy and others live in a world with far less opportunity, where the tendrils of poverty invade their neighborhoods and their outlook on the world.

According to Data USA, 28% of the population for whom poverty status is determined in Hartford, CT (32.4k out of 116k people) live below the poverty line, a number that is higher than the national average of 12.8%. The largest demographic living in poverty are Females 25 - 34, followed by Females 45 - 54 and then Females 35 - 44.

Moreover, the most common racial or ethnic group living below the poverty line in Hartford, CT is Hispanic, followed by Black and White, which highlights another aspect that could be analyzed (race demographics and disparages).

This is where geographic information system (GIS) mapping software becomes essential, as it allows for the local government to map crime instances, helping them to acknowledge which parts of the city need more resources and to target their efforts to specific locations while being more fully aware of what area they are in. Moreover, GIS permits the analysis of data regarding poverty and crime, which may grant a connection helping the local government to decide where to establish certain structures, such as schools or malls.

I have taken some initiative in the matter by creating maps that highlight issues such as, showing the radius of travel of 1 US survey mile from every police station and substation located in the city, as well as the number of crimes per neighborhood in 2021, which show substantial evidence where further stations should be built to help deter crime.

Sources such as the Connecticut Department of Energy & Environmental Protection, Open Hartford, the Census Bureau, and UCONN's open database allow for these analysis with techniques such as spatial statistics or geoprocessing.

Hartford Police Stations Including an 1 Mile Range and Fire Stations With Neighborhood Names.

This is a map of Hartford, CT including the names and boundaries of the neighborhood within the city as well as the locations of police stations (and notes what kind of station) and fire stations. Additionally, there is a 1-mile buffer radius for the police stations to get an idea of what is a reasonable distance that each station covers and is readily available to arrive quickly. This map provides a look into one of the ways a city can utilize GIS data, to improve locations of facilities, such as police departments, or even schools to promote education, or hospitals for easier access regarding usual traffic.

For example, the city council may want to consider establishing another substation within the Northeast neighborhood as the number of crimes are the highest within the neighborhoods yet doesn’t get much coverage from the police stations. Such as the aforementioned Northeast area as well as the South Meadows in order to increase response times as well as overall coverage. Using these maps, they are able to analyze the situation further and understand the underlying issues within the community This can also provide citizens with a greater feeling of protection and respect for the city assuming that the police stations operate properly with correct training.

This solution can also inadvertently create new jobs, bolstering the economy, which could help reduce the problems of poverty, low income, and low economic growth.

I think these solutions will work to help reach sustainable goals of improving the decrease of crime in the city overall, as they provide an objective yet effective way of approaching the issue of what areas are currently being overlooked. I’d expect the results of this application to be mainly successful as there are little to no drawbacks while having a great reward, since this can extend to ideas larger than just crime reduction, especially considering its impact on generations to come.

On a national this can be extended to other cities that are in a similar or even worse situation as it effectively allows them to allocate resources to areas that have been analyzed to have needed that help.

On a global scale, the positives are endless, especially since crime is linked to poverty and quality of life, which is interlocked with economic growth and eventual societal growth that can lead to a more developed/educated world.

Works Cited:

Hartford is on pace to have perhaps its most violent year in nearly two decades after recording 20 murders through the first six months of 2021, almost as many homicides in half a year as the capital city saw in each of the past three full years.

This is a map of Hartford, CT including the names and boundaries of the neighborhood within the city as well as the number of crimes committed within each neighborhood in the past year. This data shows the crimes rates and where they are being committed allowing for analysis of the cause and a solution. This data also allows for further comparisons with other factors, such as education or wealth within each neighborhood, that can show the link between them and provide an understanding of the scope of the situation.

Another look at the poverty issue. This is a map of Hartford, CT showing the population of households whose income in the past twelve months is between 50 to 99 percent of the federal average income of about $58,563 a year. This map allows for a comparison of crime and poverty rates, as well as the correlation between poverty and economic instability/lack of growth.

This is a map of Hartford, CT including the names and boundaries of the neighborhood within the city as well as the locations of police stations (and notes what kind of station) and fire stations. Additionally, there is a 1-mile buffer radius for the police stations to get an idea of what is a reasonable distance that each station covers and is readily available to arrive quickly. This map provides a look into one of the ways a city can utilize GIS data, to improve locations of facilities, such as police departments, or even schools to promote education, or hospitals for easier access regarding usual traffic.