Brookline police have been arresting people on assault charges at rates significantly higher than the statewide average, a stat that Brookline police officials attribute in part to domestic violence.
From 2023 to 2025, assaults made up a quarter of arrests across Massachusetts, according to national data. In Brookline, that figure shoots up to 43%.
Arrests for simple assaults in Brookline rose 15% over the three years, while aggravated assaults, which involve a weapon and serious bodily injuries, nearly doubled, according to data that police agencies statewide provide monthly to the state Executive Office of Public Safety and Security…