WINDHAM —  The number of crimes in Windham fell slightly last year, according to the Maine Department of Public Safety. The crime rate — calculated by dividing the number of reported crimes by population and multiplying the result by 100,000 — was 15.41 in 2017, a decrease of 0.38 from 2016.

The Department of Public Safety’s recently released report on crime in Maine showed an overall state decrease of 8.2 percent during 2017, the sixth consecutive year the rate dropped.

In Windham, the number of crimes overall dropped from 284 to 280 from 2016 to 2017. Police Chief Kevin Schofield said that because of the way the rate is computed, the town’s decreased crime rate is more reflective of its increased population than of a significant decrease in crime. Windham’s population increased by nearly 200 between 2016 and 2017. There are eight categories of index crimes: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson.

The number of reported rapes increased in Windham from 2016 to 2017, from one to four, but Schofield said he does not believe that rape has became “a more serious issue.”

“It’s just being reported more and followed up on more, and awareness of law enforcement and advocacy groups is making it easier for victims to report and so forth, which is a good thing,” he said.

There were no murders in Windham in 2017 compared to one in 2016; one robbery compared to two; five aggravated assaults, down from 13; 27 burglaries, down from 31; and seven motor vehicle thefts, down from 10. The number of larcenies, 236, was up by 10. There were no arsons in either year.

Schofield said police staffing is especially crucial given Windham’s growing population. Windham has 1.7 officers per 1,000 residents while the statewide average is 2.2. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Windham was 17,001. The Department of Public Safety report now lists that number as 18,175.

“That’s a foundation of what we’re looking at. Where are we with the industry standard of staffing with the county? We’re kind of being comparative,” he explained.

Schofield added that the eight index crimes included in the report do not take into account traffic issues, which are common in Windham.

“Volume of traffic really keeps us busy. Speed and traffic flow affect our community and people’s quality of life. So in addition to index crimes, what we’re really looking at, in part, is how the population of the town increases and what challenges does that bring with it?” he said.

In Bridgton, the only other town in the Lakes Region included in the state report, the number of crimes and its crime rate also dropped in 2017. Reported rape cases increased from zero to three. Bridgton had 15 more cases of burglary in 2017 than it did in 2016, and larceny cases decreased by 19. All other crime categories were approximately the same.

Across the state, two of the eight crime categories were higher in 2017 than the state’s 10-year average: rape and aggravated assault. The number of cases of murder, robbery, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson were all lower in 2017 than the 10-year average.

There were 21,803 reported offenses in Maine in 2017, which is a decrease of 1,945 offenses from 2016. The state’s crime rate was 16.32 in 2017, marking a decrease of 1.52 from 2016.

In Maine, violent crimes decreased by 4.7 percent from 2016. Property crimes dropped by 8.5 percent.

The Uniform Crime Reporting Division at the Maine Department of Public Safety gathers the crime numbers each year. The numbers are based on reported crimes from local, county and state law enforcement agencies.

Jane Vaughan can be reached at 780-9103 or at jvaughan@keepmecurrent.com.

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