Crime and Safety in the Monadnock Region

Headlines about crime abound, but rarely tell us what we actually want to know. How safe is my community? And are things getting better or worse? On this page, you'll find data about crime and safety in New Hampshire and the Monadnock Region.

Most types of crime are underreported, so these data are far from perfect. But they can still tell us something about broader public-safety trends here.

This page is a work in progress, and we hope to add to it over time. What would you like to see included? Let us know here.

How does NH compare to the US?

New Hampshire is relatively safe compared to the country overall, with reported rates of both violent and property crimes well below the national average. The FBI defines violent crime as murder/nonnegligent manslaughter, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crime is burglary, theft, motor vehicle theft and arson.

Stats from the Monadnock Region

Relatively recent crime statistics can be hard to come by. Not all departments release them regularly, and the FBI doesn't publish its comprehensive data until sometime the following year. But the Keene Police Department does release monthly data about reported crimes. Here's a look at the most recent available numbers.

Crime stats are inexact. The FBI data relies on crimes known to law enforcement. But fewer than half of violent crimes, and about one-third of property crimes, were reported to law enforcement in 2019, according to federal survey data. (There are some exceptions, notably homicide and motor vehicle theft.) Still, these data tell us something about general levels and trends in Cheshire County.

Note: The monthly KPD data above lump together aggravated assaults with less-serious simple assaults and criminal threatening incidents. The chart below shows only aggravated assaults, which is why the numbers don't correspond.