Crime & Safety

How Safe Is Kensington?

Police report suggests crime - especially violent crime - is relatively low in Kensington.


A recent police report includes some pretty impressive numbers that suggest Kensington is a safe place to live, compared to towns of similar size.

The numbers for the past month include one assault and no homicides, but 17 total reported crimes for July.

Violent crimes reported to police for 2013 to July were relatively few in Kensington:

  • 0 Homicides
  • 0 Rapes
  • 4 Assaults
  • 1 Arson
In all there were 119 reported crimes in that seven-month span, including 22 larceny thefts.

State officials use certain crimes, labeled Part 1 crimes (homicide, rape, robbery, assault residential burglary, etc.) for comparisons between cities and counties. For comparison's sake, Kensington's 55 total reported Part 1 crimes to date in 2013 are a mere fraction of the numbers seen in other cities of similar size. Kensington has a population of 5,077. Lakeport, with a population of 4,760, reported 280 total Part 1 crimes in 2011, including 200 robberies.

The relatively low number of violent crimes is an encouraging downturn for Kensington Police, who responded to homicides in 2011 and 2012.

In the report, Det. Eric Stegman detailed an Aug. 13, 2012 homicide in which the victim had been stabbed in the chest with a serrated knife. The suspect, Diane Sydenham, has been arraigned, but has not yet entered a plea. She is being held on $2 million bail.

A 2011 homicide is still being investigated, according to Det. Stegman.









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