Vermont’s violent crime outlook has gotten better across the board, with one notable exception: Reports of rape are on the rise, new data shows.
Violent crime in Vermont fell 0.7% between 2017 and 2018, including murder, robbery and aggravated assault, according to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, which collected data from Vermont police agencies.
Property crime — including burglary and larceny — fell 14%, although motor vehicle thefts are on the rise.
In contrast, the number of reported rapes went from 254 in 2017 to 287 in 2018, the latest high in a yearslong increase. And although Vermont’s general violent crime rate is half the national average, the rate of rape crimes is now higher than the rest of the nation.
Adam Silverman, a spokesperson for the Vermont State Police, said police were concerned about all types of crime, including sexual assault.
“VSP works diligently every day to help prevent and reduce occurrences of crime, and to hold offenders accountable,” he said in a statement.
Advocates caution that Vermont’s high rate of rape reported to police doesn’t mean there are more actual victims. Instead, they believe the rise could be the result of more victims reporting their experiences.
“People often take the narrative that they want the number [of sexual assaults] to be zero,” said Avaloy Haynes, executive director of the NewStory Center of Rutland County. “I only want that if the zero is real.”
Research suggests rape and sexual assault are underreported crimes. Nationally, the number of rapes reported in the FBI data is only a fraction of the number of people who say they’re been a victim of rape in the national Crime Victimization survey.
Amanda Cockrane, executive director of Umbrella in the Northeast Kingdom, said a recent push for better collaboration between agencies have made more people feel comfortable coming forward. Even recent media coverage has helped, she said.
“Overall, they see folks are held more accountable,” she said. “They think if they go forward, they can believe in the process.”
But both organizations see room for improvement. Haynes believes male victims are still underreported — they formed only 9% of victims in the FBI data — and she still sees victims who are reluctant to report rape.
“The problem is the same as always: The fear of not being believed,” she said. Victims worry about being judged, about how much their lives will be disrupted, and about what the perpetrator will do when they hear about the report.
“You have to feel safe to report, and more feel safe now,” Haynes said. “But many do not.”
Attorney General TJ Donovan pointed out that the general crime rate in Vermont was lower than the rest of the country. “However, I’m concerned with a reported increase in sexual violence in Vermont and look forward to working with all stakeholders to understand this increase and the data upon which the FBI relied,” he said.
If you need help, the sexual violence hotline in VT is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-489-7273. You can also find local organizations in your area here.
