Police department annual report released, shows decrease in crime offenses
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Bay City crime decreased in several categories in 2009, according to a new report released by the police chief.
The use of force has decreased 42 percent, a change from 2009, where a total of 93 incidents took place. The incident report includes weapons drawn, hand control, the use of a baton and deadly force.
Negotiation skills, leadership and body language training are some of classes officers are taking to improve, Police Chief Robert A. Barker said at last week's city council meeting.
He attributes the decrease in crime in the city because of training officers have received on strategies such as negotiation and body language classes.
“We are going back to basics,” he said. “We are using the human element and showing the officers different ways to handle different situations.”
The department has also created a Burglary Apprehension Response Squad with detectives that specifically focus on burglaries of residences and businesses.
“Now that we have a group of detectives who specialize in this, our numbers are improving,” he said.
A decrease of 44 percent was seen in cases assigned for investigation, from 4,044 cases in 2008 to 2,250 in 2009.
Patrol officers are assigned Class C thefts and Class C assaults, he said.
“Our problem-solving efforts and service-minded philosophy help to promote a positive relationship with the community,” he said.
Juvenile transports have increased in the last year, from 67 to 110 juveniles being transferred to the Victoria County Juvenile Services Department. Each transfer takes approximately 4 hours, which includes the transport to Victoria and the registration processes for each juvenile.
“We are not sure why this is happening. We are working to improve juvenile transportation,” he said.
Other highlights in the report include the “Click It to Ticket Campaign,” which received statewide recognition for its success. The department was awarded $4,000 from the Texas Department of Transportation to be used for traffic safety equipment. A law enforcement meeting, which hosted 35 law enforcement officers from South East Texas, also took place last year.
Breakout box:
Bay City Police Department Uniform Crime Report Statistics
A decrease was seen in:
Robbery: 45 cases in 2008 and 28 in 2009.
Aggravated assaults: 48 cases in 2008 and 25 in 2009.
Auto theft: 10 cases in 2008 and 5 in 2009.
Arson: 5 cases in 2008 and 3 in 2009.
Larceny: 689 cases in 2008 and 679 in 2009.
Narcotics: 22 cases in 2008 and 51 in 2009.
An increase was seen in:
Sexual Assault: 8 cases in 2008 and 10 in 2009.
Burglary: 194 cases in 2008 and 217 in 2009.