New FBI Statistics Reveal Latest East Providence Crime Data

EAST PROVIDENCE, RI — The Federal Bureau of Investigation has released the latest crime statistics data this week. The data, which reflects criminal offenses for the year 2018, shows that both violent crime and property crime has decreased nationwide since the previous year. The data also showed crime statistics for each local community, including East Providence.

Nationwide, rape was the only violent crime category to increase in 2018 from 2017. The FBI began to collect rape statistics under a revised definition in 2013, and the agency decided to stop the reporting of rape data using the old definition in 2017. But to remain consistent with past reports, the 2018 update includes figures based on the former definition.

The new definition expands the meaning of rape to include additional forms of penetration of a victim's body.

Throughout Rhode Island, decreases in crime for both violent and property crime categories also decreased. Violent crime went down by 6.3 percent in the state between 2017 and 2018, and property crime decreased by 6.5 percent, according to the FBI crime data released Monday. However, the number of rape incidents increased in Rhode Island by 5.9 percent — from 454 rapes in 2017 to 481 the following year.

In East Providence, with the population of about 47,500 people, there were 50 cases of violent offenses that are known to law enforcement for the year 2018. These included two cases of murder or non-negligent manslaughter, 12 rapes, five robberies and 31 aggravated assaults. There were also 515 property crime offenses, including 68 burglaries, 399 larcenies or thefts, 48 vehicle thefts and four arson incidents, the report states.