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The city overall had 2,269 burglaries in 2016, according to the data, which was more than some much larger cities reported, including Boston, Mass., a city more than four-and-a-half times Dayton’s size.
Per capita, Dayton’s burglary rate in 2016 was higher than all but three U.S. cities with populations of at least 100,000 people, FBI data indicate.
Dayton police say the data is misleading because other cities may report crimes differently or under-report. Dayton counts break-ins as burglaries, for example, while other cities may have different reporting criteria.
Police also point out that part 1 property crime, which includes burglaries, declined 22 percent in Dayton between 2016 and 2017, which isn’t reflected in the FBI crime numbers, which include only 2016.
“In this case, there are a number of ways the data can be skewed or not a complete picture,” police officials said in a statement.
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Still, this newspaper’s review of dozens of Dayton burglary reports found victims often alleged that the perpetrators were drug users they know or who they are related to or have as neighbors.
A burglary on Parkwood Drive in north Dayton last month was typical of the reports. A woman identified her 30-year-old brother as the thief, saying he has a drug problem and regularly steals from family members. This time, she said, he broke the glass in her back door to gain entry and stole a flat-screen TV.
FBI data show that Dayton had nearly 162 burglaries per 10,000 residents in 2016, which was higher than all but three major U.S. cities: Pueblo, Colo. (about 163 burglaries per 10,000); Cleveland ( 164 per 10,000); and Vallejo, Calif. (193 per 10,000).
Furnas, the Burkhardt-Springfield Neighborhood Association president, said drug addiction is rampant in east Dayton, and people’s property regularly is stolen by drug addicts trying to get money or items to pawn.
East Dayton also has a lot of vacant homes, community members say, which makes it easier for burglars to hit properties without being seen.
As long as east Dayton has an opiate problem, it will have a burglary problem, said Furnas. She said she wishes neighbors looked out for one another more frequently.
“How do you expect to get things solved if you don’t get involved,” she said.
Research seems to support the claims that drugs motivate many burglaries.
A survey of 422 incarcerated burglars in Ohio, Kentucky and North Carolina found that more than half of respondents (51 percent) said drugs were the top reason they committed their crimes, followed by money (37 percent). The thieves most preferred items: Cash, jewelry, illegal drugs, electronics and prescription drugs.
Almost 80 percent of the incarcerated burglars said they had used at least one illegal drug in the six months prior to their most recent arrest, said researcher Kristie Blevins, professor at the College of Justice and Safety at Eastern Kentucky University. The research was done in 2013 and then updated in 2016.
Although they question some of the burglary numbers reported to the FBI by other departments, Dayton police say residents can reduce the chances of being targeted by following some simple steps: Install lighting, use an alarm system and lock all windows and doors whenever leaving the home.
Another tip: Don’t advertise on social media that you’re going on vacation.
Burglary alarms are a huge deterrent, officials say. Blevins said nearly three-quarters of the burglary victims in the group’s study said they did not have a burglary alarm at the time of the crime.
As for the burglars, about six in 10 said they would move to a different target if they discovered that an alarm was present, the study found.
By the numbers
2,269: Number of burglaries reported in Dayton in 2016.
162: Number of burglaries per 100,000 residents; only three U.S. cities reported higher rates.
80: Percentage of incarcerated burglars who admitted to recent drug use in one survey.
22: Percentage decline in Part 1 property crimes in Dayton between 2016 and 2017.
Sources: FBI, Researchers from Eastern Kentucky University, the University of North Carolina and Radford University.
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