Arlington Sees Uptick In Crime Reports, Drop In Crashes

ARLINGTON, MA — With the coronavirus pandemic forcing residents inside and off the roads, the Arlington Police Department has seen a drop in traffic incidents over the past month. But the shutdown has also led to an increase in crime reports, Arlington Police Chief Juliann Flaherty said.

During a Zoom call with town officials Thursday, Flaherty said the department responded to about 36 or 37 motor vehicle crashes from March 14 to April 14, 2019. That number was "significantly reduced" over the same time frame this year.

But over the past month, police have seen an uptick in calls pertaining to assaults, domestic violence incidents and behavioral health concerns, Flaherty said. They've also seen a rise in a "small list of crimes" they are mandated to report to the FBI, according to Flaherty.

Flaherty did not provide specific figures on the call. She said her department is also worried about people congregating in public spaces as the weather improves, a concern shared by Director of Health & Human Services Christine Bongiorno and Town Manager Adam Chapdelaine.

Officials fielded questions from residents pertaining to public congregation, from meeting up in parks to scheduling large play dates for children. Bongiorno encouraged residents to continue to social distance, based on what she described as "good results."

"In Arlington, although we had that lack of testing, our numbers are not what we would've expected," Bongiorno said.

The case count in Arlington stood at 191 as of Thursday. There have been 19 deaths attributed to the coronavirus.

"The number is not as high as it could be, but it should be zero," Bongiorno said, referring to the death toll.

Officials encouraged residents to continue to practice passive activity, like walking around or through parks, and urged people to not congregate outside their immediate family unit.