Crime in Watertown, South Dakota

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In Watertown, property crimes also account for about 85% of all offenses.

Property crime is less prevalent in Watertown than it is nationwide. There were 367 property crimes in Watertown in 2019, or 1,651 for every 100,000 residents. Meanwhile, the national property crime rate is 2,110 incidents per 100,000 people.

Larceny

Larceny is by far the most common type of property crime in the U.S. It is also the most commonly committed type of property crime in Watertown. There were 292 larcenies reported in Watertown in 2019, or 1,313 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 58 break-ins reported in Watertown in 2019, or 261 for every 100,000 residents. For reference, there were 341 reported burglaries for every 100,000 people nationwide in 2019.

Motor Vehicle Theft

Across the United States, the annual motor vehicle theft rate is 220 for every 100,000 people. In Watertown, meanwhile, there were 17 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 77 for every 100,000 people.

Violent crime

Violent crime accounts for a relatively small share of crimes nationwide. These offenses, which are generally more egregious than property crimes, account for about 15% of the nearly 8.2 million offenses reported across the U.S. in 2019. In Watertown, violent offenses also account for a 15% share of all reported crime.

At 301 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in Watertown is below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in Watertown reported a total of 67 violent crimes in 2019.

Aggravated Assault

Aggravated assault is by far the most common type of violent crime reported in the U.S. It is also the most commonly reported violent offense in Watertown. There were 43 aggravated assaults reported in Watertown in 2019, or 193 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is higher, standing at 250 aggravated assaults per 100,000 people.

Robbery

Robbery is the second most common type of violent crime in America. There were 3 robberies reported in Watertown in 2019, a rate of 14 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 20 rapes reported in Watertown in 2019, or 90 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

There was one homicide reported in the city in 2019. Adjusted for population, the murder rate in Watertown is 4.5 for every 100,000 people, lower than the national murder rate of 5 per 100,000 people.