City crime rate dips: Statistics show McMinnville becoming safer
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The revelation of the lower crime rate was made in McMinnville Police Department’s quarterly report for the months of January through March. The lower crime rate during the first quarter comes on the heels of unusually high crime during the first quarter of 2001.
“Last year was an odd year because everything seemed to be up the first quarter,” said McMinnville Police Captain Bryan Denton. “Normally, the third quarter, July through September, is our worst quarter because of the warmer weather and students being out of school. This year it appears we’ve gone back to normal levels. Really, we don’t have a good explanation as to why.”
Denton said a wetter than normal quarter, which saw two significant floods, may have contributed somewhat to the lower crime rate.
Most notable was the overall crime rate. A total of 279 offenses were reported to police during the first quarter, down significantly from the 361 reported during the first quarter of last year but in line with the 274 incidents reported in the first quarter of 2000.
Helping account of the lower crime rate was the fact the number of thefts were half the number reported last year during the same quarter. A total of 82 thefts have been reported thus far this year, compared to 165 during the first quarter of last year. The recent number is also lower than 2000 when 120 thefts were reported.
Part of the lower theft rate is due to a drastic reduction in gas drive-offs. During the recent quarter, 12 cases of pumping and not paying were reported, one-third of the 38 reported last year. Denton said the lower number is likely due to the fact gas prices have been much lower on average than they were this time last year.
Shoplifters were also not as active as normal as 25 shoplifters were reported compared to 39 last year and 29 in 2000. The low shoplifting rate comes on the heels of a record low shoplifting rate over the most recent Christmas season. There were no reported cases of shoplifting over the recent Christmas season despite the fact the yuletide season is usually the hardest hit by shoplifters. While no cases were reported, shoplifting could later show up during audits.
In one of the isolated areas of increase, there were a few more burglaries the most recent quarter with 35 reported, one more than the same quarter last year. There were 20 burglaries during the first quarter of 2000. However, balancing the burglary rate was a reduction in the number of auto thefts, with nine vehicles being stolen the most recent quarter compared to 14 last year and 16 in 2000.
Cases of forgery and fraud continued their steady decrease as a record low of six were worked by investigators during the first quarter. The number is one-third the 18 worked last year and one-fourth the 26 worked in 2000.
In the area of violent crime, no armed robberies occurred in the city limits. There were eight last year during the first quarter alone. Sex crimes did take an upturn with nine reported as opposed to four last year. However, several arrests came in conjunction with one perpetrator, swelling the number.
The most common violent crime, assault, stayed steady as 58 were reported opposed to 60 last quarter and 40 in 2000. More serious aggravated assaults were down with six reported compared to 10 last year and three in 2000.
Following suit, the number of arrests were down with 268 reported this quarter compared to 346 last year and 266 in 2000. Juvenile arrests did take a slight jump with 48 persons under 18 taken into custody compared to 43 last year and 25 in 2000.
The number of drunk driving arrests was less than half of last year’s total as 17 people were arrested for DUI. There were 20 public intoxication arrests. There were 48 drug arrests in the city.
Calls for service also declined significantly with 2,743 – or 30 per day – made to police. There were 3,112 calls last year and 2,807 in 2000. Among the calls were 191 accidents and 231 alarm calls, numbers which were almost identical to last year.