Windham Among Safer Towns in NH

Statistically, New Hampshire consistently ranks among the safest states in the United States.

According to those same statistics, detailed in a 2011 report by the New Hampshire Center for Public Policy, Windham is 10th in the state in violent crime rate among Granite State cities and towns with populations of 10,000 or more.

From 2005 through 2008, New Hampshire ranked either 49th or 50th in the United States in crime data that includes the District of Columbia.

In fact, the Granite State placed dead last in terms of murders in 2006 and 2007 and 50th in 2008. The only crime statistic that New Hampshire ranked among the bottom 30 was forcible rape (NH was 30th in 2008 and 29th in 2005, though 40th in both 2006 and 2007).

In 2010, the most recent year detailed in the report (which compiles crime data dating back to 1985), New Hampshire saw:

• One murder or non-negligent manslaughter every 28 days
• One forcible rape every 21 hours
• One robbery every 19 hours
• One aggravated assault every 7 hours
• One burglary every 1 hour and 36 minutes
• One larceny-theft every 23 minutes
• One motor vehicle theft every 9 hours.

According to those same statistics, Windham saw 11 violent crimes that entire year, down from 20 in 2009, but up from seven in 2008. Since 1985, Windham has seen more than 24 violent crimes once, in 1989, where 28 of the 29 reported incidents were listed as violent assaults.

In terms of total reported crimes in 2010, Windham Police reported:

• 2 forcible rapes
• 0 robberies
• 3 aggravated assaults
• 39 burglaries
• 8 motor vehicle thefts
• 170 incidents of property crime
• 123 incidents of larceny theft

But anecdotally, there have been several crimes over the past year that have stood out to Windham residents. Those crimes do not yet show up on the statistics.

Just last week, residents received full details from an Attorney General report of an incident where a Pelham man attempted to run over police officers on Lowell Road. Grant Hebert, 21, was shot by the officers and is currently facing multiple charges.

Attempted burglaries in August on Edinburgh Road and North Lowell Road saw two Derry brothers get arrested.

In July 2012, a targeted armed home invasion saw three victims get arrested, one on drug charges. Two others fled and are still at large.

In April, a man was arrested as one of two people connected to a Windham home invasion that saw a woman tied up. Luis Carvalho, 31, of Fourth St. in Taunton, Mass. was charged with burglary, criminal restraint, criminal threatening and disobeying a police officer. The other suspect is still at large.

A new report detailing another year of crime date is released in January of each year.