Mapping Violent Crime, Burglaries in Hyattsville

On Friday, we gave you a broad overview of Hyattsville's year in crime. The city marked another year of declining crime numbers, but a number of crime hotspots remain in the city. 

Now, we show you where two categories of those crimes happened. 

Data provided by the Hyattsville City Police Department has been turned into heat maps charting the geographic density of violent crime and burglaries in the city of Hyattsville. 

Violent Crimes 

The 3500 Block of East-West Highway is the most violent street in the city of Hyattsville, according to data released by the city police department. That block, home of the Mall at Prince George's and near the Prince George's Plaza Metro Station, saw 19 crimes against persons–12 assaults and seven robberies–committed in 2012.

The next most violent street in the city is the 5700 block of 29th Avenue in West Hyattsville, which saw nine crimes against persons–seven assaults and two robberies–committed in 2012. 

The third most violent street in Hyattsville is a tie between two blocks on opposite sides of the city. Both the 2600 block of Kirkwood Place in the western side of the city and 6000 block of 42nd Avenue in the eastern side of the city saw seven crimes against persons committed in 2012. The 2600 block of Kirkwood Place was the site of three assaults and four robberies. The 6000 block of 42nd Avenue was the site of six assaults and one robbery. 

Overall, crimes against persons increased slightly in 2012, rising from 180 to 183 incidents reported. The increase is entirely due to a roughly 10 percent increase in assaults, and a spike in the number of rapes, jumping from one in 2011 to six rapes reported in 2012.

Hyattsville Police Chief Doug Holland noted that many assaults happen in the vicinity of Hyattsville's two metro stations.

"While that is wonderful to have those Metro stations, we are the only municipality in Prince George's with two stations," said Holland in an interview. "I am sure that there are some suspects in assaults and robberies who use the Metro for their transit into and out of town."

Burglaries

Burglaries were one of the with the burglaries in Wards 4 and 5 rising while burglaries declined slightly city wide.

Residential burglary activity in 2012 was particularly heavy in the area around the 5700 block of 29th Avenue. That street saw seven burglaries in 2012. Around the corner, the 5700 and 5600 blocks of 30th Avenue saw a combined total of eight burglaries last year. 

In all, there were 127 residential burglaries in Hyattsville last year.  That's slightly lower than the 135 reported in 2011 and 2010.

Hyattsville's Ward 3 saw the greatest reduction in burglaries over 2011, dropping 42 percent from 50 to 29 in 2012.

Ward 1 had the fewest burglaries, with only 10 reported in 2012, down 52 percent from 21 reported in 2011.