Crime increased 11% in Dayton in 2022. Dayton police saw big increases in auto thefts, assaults, menacing

Dayton last year saw the largest overall increase in crime in many years, and some of the main drivers included spikes in auto thefts, simple assaults and assaults related to intimate partner violence.

Other major types of crimes like residential burglaries and narcotics and drug violations fell to their lowest levels in years.

Dayton police are still analyzing the data, but the department will develop strategies to combat increases in critical crime categories, said Dayton police Lt. Col. Eric Henderson, who is the department’s deputy director and assistant chief.

“Those responses are not just going out and arresting people,” he said. “Those responses could include looking for community partners or resources to address the crime.”

The data

Dayton police recorded about 18,725 crimes in 2022, which was nearly 11% more than in 2021, police data show.

Before last year, the number of crimes in the city had declined for three consecutive years, and it had fallen in six of the eight years between 2014 and 2021.

The total number of crimes in 2022 was still significantly lower than the number any given year from 2013 to 2018.

Lt. Col. Henderson said the police department does not pay all that much attention to the overall number of crimes, because some activities are officer-initiated, and fluctuations often reflect decisions around enforcement and operations.

But he said police look closely at the main crime categories.

Two of these (part 1 property crime and part 2 violent crime) last year saw increases of 15% and 16%. Two others (part 1 violent crime and part 2 property crime) saw increases of about 1% and 2%.

Big changes

Dayton police last year received 1,540 reports of stolen vehicles, which was up 83% from 2021.

Also, there were more than 300 reports of thefts of motor vehicle parts and accessories, which was a more than 45% increase from the prior year.

Auto and auto parts thefts were at their highest levels in nearly a decade — and maybe much longer.

Police data obtained by this newspaper only goes back to 2013.

Auto thefts shot up in Dayton and many other U.S. urban areas last year as viral videos circulated online explaining how to steal certain Kia and Hyundai models in a few basic steps.

Kias made since 2011 and Hyundais made since 2015 that use physical keys have security design flaws that mean they can be hijacked with a basic USB cord.

These thefts can be devastating to victims, police said.

“For many people their car is their livelihood,” said Dayton police Lt. Randy Beane. “It’s how many of us get to work each day.”

Auto part thefts rose in Dayton, as the value of catalytic converters skyrocketed.

Catalytic converters contain precious metals, and thieves all across Dayton tore them off personal, work and public vehicles.

Credit: Jim Noelker

Thieves can remove catalytic converters in just minutes using basic, battery-operated tools that can be purchased from most hardware stores, said David Glawe, president and CEO of the National Insurance Crime Bureau.

“It’s an opportunistic crime,” he said. “And for the vehicle owner, it’s costly due to the loss of work, finding and paying for alternate transportation and then paying anywhere from $1,000 to $3,000 to get your vehicle fixed.”

Assaults

The police department received about 2,360 reports of simple assault involving domestic violence, which was a 15% increase and the most incidents since at least 2013.

Simple assaults not classified as domestic violence increased about 16%, to about 1,400 reports.

This increase seems troubling, but it’s also possible that the true number of domestic violence assaults has stayed fairly consistent and victims are just reporting the offenses more frequently, said Miranda Armstead, rural advocate for YWCA Dayton.

Armstead said she thinks domestic violence is being talked about more than ever before, which is a positive development since victims seem more aware of their options and what resources are available to help them.

Unfortunately, the YWCA Dayton has seen an increase in the “lethality” of the calls it is getting to its domestic violence hotline during the COVID crisis, Armstead said.

Victims have been stuck at home with their abusers more often during the pandemic, increasing the potential danger they face, she said.

The best way to combat domestic violence is prevention and education, Armstead said, and reaching young people early on is important because intimate partner violence often is a learned behavior and it’s helpful to teach community members about the importance of having healthy relationships.

About one in four women and one in nine men have experienced severe physical violence at the hands of an intimate partner, Armstead said, citing research.

Domestic violence can be very traumatic and can cause long-lasting injuries.

Researchers from The Ohio State University and the Ohio Domestic Violence Network found that most women who have been abused who seek help have suffered head injuries and strangulation.

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Some domestic incidents turn fatal. Last year, a 31-year-old woman and her 6-year-old daughter were found shot to death in a basement in Dayton hours after police responded to a domestic dispute at the address.

The city had 33 murders and incidents of nonnegligent manslaughter in 2022, which was three more than the prior year. But they fell from 48 in 2020.

Crime declines

But some crime categories did see declines in 2022.

Dayton police last year recorded about 790 narcotic and drug violations, which were down 20%.

Credit: Jim Noelker

Dayton had 710 residential burglaries (down 6%) and police handled 410 drug equipment violations (down 11%).

Aggravated assaults fell 7%, shootings into habitations dropped 21% and prostitution offenses declined 33%.

Lt. Col. Henderson said the decrease in aggravated assaults is a very good sign, because these are violent attacks with deadly weapons or that cause grave injuries.

He said police have worked with partner agencies to get violent offenders off the streets, and a big emphasis is on people responsible for repeat offenses.

But Henderson said the increase in auto thefts looks like it is leading to additional criminal activities.

Stolen vehicles are being used in robberies and shootings into homes and residences, he said, and some people may feel emboldened to commit other crimes after successfully stealing a car.

Henderson said police need the community’s help to avoid preventable crimes, like thefts of vehicles with the keys in the ignition.

He also encouraged Hyundai and Kia owners to take steps to make it harder to steal their vehicles, such as by parking in garages or using alarm systems or immobilizers.

Police also are working with some auto shops to provide free stickers to the public that go on catalytic converters that can be used to identify stolen parts.

Henderson said police this year will be working with local neighborhoods to develop neighborhood safety plans.

These plans will have strategies for addressing what neighbors feel are the biggest public safety risks they face.

Henderson also said that while some crime categories have seen increases, the number of incidents are significantly down from past years.

“Overall, crime has decreased in the community, when you look at it over a larger timespan,” he said.

Crime increased in Dayton in 2022

Crime category, # of incidents, % change from 2021

Murder and nonnegligent manslaughter: 33, +10%

Forcible rape: 195, +29%

Robbery: 129, +10%

Breaking and entering: 659, +12%

Thefts of motor vehicle: 1,540, +83%

Thefts of motor vehicle parts and accessories: 304, +45%