Report ranks Springfield 5th highest in the country for burglaries

SPRINGFIELD — A new report ranks Springfield as a city with one of the highest burglary rates in the country but local police say break-ins have dropped significantly in recent years.

The report released by ADT Security Services this week uses FBI crime statistics from 2015.

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Springfield is listed as the city with the 5th most burglaries per 1,000 people in the country. But the ranking doesn’t reflect the trend in local burglaries, Springfield Police Division Capt. Mike Varner said, which have been steadily declining.

“From 2011 through 2016, over the last five years, burglaries have been going down,” Varner said, “and in fact, from 2011 to 2016 burglaries are down 40 percent.”

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In 2011, the city saw 1,615 break-ins, according to data from the Springfield Police Division. That number has been declining since 2011. In 2016, Springfield reported about 960 burglaries.

The break-ins are likely motivated by drugs, Varner said.

“A lot of burglaries are related directly to drugs,” he said. “Persons who are out trying to fund their drug habits.”

For the full story, go to SpringfieldNewsSun.com.