With The Population Boom…How Is Idaho’s Crime Rate Faring?
People are moving to Idaho (especially the Boise area) in droves. Like, big big droves. Idaho continues to grow like a weed in 2022, resulting in higher housing costs, traffic, and lines at Dutch Bros.
Does that mean Idaho is experiencing more crime since we've got so many new neighbors? Let's dive in, shall we?
Lisa Bostaph, a professor of criminal justice at Boise State, says that crime in Idaho has stayed pretty low and stable through our sudden growth spurt:
he big takeaway is I think crime is relatively stable in Idaho. I do think we should feel good about the report overall. We’re not seeing any tremendous increase. Unfortunately, we’re also not seeing any tremendous decreases.
Believe it or not, in the past year, crime overall has gone down in Idaho, with drug charges increasing slightly. Bostaph continues:
I think policing agencies at all levels, local, state and federal, have really been paying a lot of attention and doing a lot of proactive work around drug busts and identification of people who are carrying drugs, especially with the increases in overdoses and also with the issue of fentanyl.
If you compare states in an apples-to-apples fashion, Idaho is faring rather well, coming in with the 9th lowest crime rate amongst all 50 states in the U.S.
Do you feel like crime has gone down in your area, even though there are more and more people around? Let's connect on Facebook and see how things are in your side of town.
Idaho's Favorite F-Words
Gallery Credit: Ryan Valenzuela