BENSALEM TOWNSHIP, PA — Crime has come down “significantly” over the past two years in the township, officials announced during a podcast on Wednesday.
The crime report was given on “The Mayor’s Show” on Wednesday, which featured Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo, Public Safety Director William McVey, and Sgt. Glenn Vandegrift. Watch the show below
The Bensalem Township Police Department reported that “serious” crimes are down 13 percent, with burglary and robbery each reduced by over 50 percent.
McVey said the police department achieved a record 47 percent clearance rate, up 15 percent since 2022. The police department often posts weekly warrant and retail theft lists.
McVey said that while many areas continue to experience rising retail thefts, the township saw a 26 percent decrease in retail thefts and a 72 percent clearance rate in these cases. Bensalem Police have worked with the business community to educate them about reporting retail thefts.
While crime has fallen over the past two years, one crime is rising off the charts.
There is an 1,800 percent increase in suspects fleeing traffic stops over the past five years and in ongoing illegal gun possession cases, McVey said.