Citywide crime decreases, violent crime rate increases according to data

Waltham Police Department crime data collected by the FBI shows that the overall crime rate has not gone up over a 10-year period, but violent crime has increased.

The Waltham Police Department crime data shown in these graphs is sourced from the FBI’s Summary Reporting System. This system displays property crime and violent crime data collected through their Uniform Crime Reporting Program, which collects crime data from over 19,000 law enforcement agencies across the United States. The data spans from January 2015 to December 2025 and was pulled from the system in March 2026.

The FBI defines the crimes mapped on these graphs in their Summary Reporting System User Manual. Crime definitions aren’t standardized across law enforcement departments, so the FBI uses their own categories as well as a “hierarchy rule,” counting only the most serious offense in a case as a data point.

Overall trends show a significant dip in crime during the COVID-19 pandemic as compared to the years before and after. While crime rates have risen since the pandemic, the crime rate in 2025 is lower than it was in 2015.

Property crime rates, which include burglaries, larceny theft, motor vehicle theft and arson, are near the same level they were in 2015. They are higher than they were during the COVID-19 pandemic, following the overall crime rate trend.

Violent crime rates, which include aggravated assault, robbery, rape and homicide, are happening at a higher rate than in 2015, with a notable increase starting in late 2022. While crime overall is decreasing, the severity of the crimes is increasing.

In a city budget hearing on June 16, Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell said he believes the increased investment in mental health outreach via their mental health taskforce has helped drive crime rates down.

“There are a lot more ways of taking care of things than just arresting someone,” he said. “It makes a difference.”

The Waltham Police Department did not respond to a request for comment on the data presented in the article before the provided deadline. 

Branch Four Inc. provided the data research and visualizations for the article.