Crime in West Lafayette, Indiana

Property crime

The vast majority of crimes in America are property crimes, accounting for 85% of total crimes in 2019. In West Lafayette, however, property crimes account for about 92% of all offenses.

Despite accounting for a higher than average share of total offenses, property crime is much less prevalent in West Lafayette than it is nationwide. There were 357 property crimes in West Lafayette in 2019, or 726 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 West Lafayette. There were 304 larcenies reported in West Lafayette in 2019, or 619 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the larceny rate is 1,550 per 100,000.

Burglary

There were 42 break-ins reported in West Lafayette in 2019, or 85 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 West Lafayette, meanwhile, there were 11 motor vehicle thefts in 2019, or 22 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 West Lafayette, however, violent offenses account for a smaller 8% share of all reported crime.

At 65 incidents for every 100,000 people, the violent crime rate in West Lafayette is well below the national violent crime rate of 379 offenses per 100,000 people. Law enforcement in West Lafayette reported a total of 32 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 West Lafayette. There were 24 aggravated assaults reported in West Lafayette in 2019, or 49 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, the rate is far 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 West Lafayette in 2019, a rate of 6 robberies for every 100,000 residents. For comparison, the national robbery rate was 82 per 100,000 in 2019.

Rape

There were 5 rapes reported in West Lafayette in 2019, or 10 for every 100,000 people. Nationwide, there were 139,815 rapes in 2019, a rate of 43 per 100,000 people.

Murder

While there were 16,425 murders nationwide in 2019, none were reported in West Lafayette.