City crime rate takes dip in 2006

A year after crime peaked in McMinnville at one of its highest levels ever, matters returned to relative normalcy in 2006 as reported crime dropped substantially as did calls for service.

A total of 1,495 offenses were reported to city police in 2006, a number down about 8 percent from the 1,617 reported during 2005 and more in line with the previous two years. Offenses can involve anything from as minor as trespassing to as major as murder.

There was one homicide reported in McMinnville in 2006, that being a suspected murder-suicide on Red Road. There were no homicides in the city in 2005.

The lower rate of reported offenses went hand in hand with a lower number of calls for service, a number which had reached its all-time high in 2005 with 13,946 calls.

The 2005 plateau marked a threefold increase in the number of calls for police over two decades, even though the population of the city increased by only 20 percent during the same timeframe dating back to 1983. In 2006, there were 12,100 calls for service in McMinnville.

In the meantime, the number of arrests increased to one of its all-time peaks with officers taking 1,175 people into custody, marking a continuation of a four-year trend which has seen the numbers increase each year. Of that number, 126 were juveniles.

The most frequent crime reported in McMinnville continues to be theft as 428 such crimes were reported in 2006, down from the 517 reported one year prior.

Contributing to the drop was a reduction in the price of gasoline which had topped out at $3.29 for a gallon in 2005, dropping to as low as $1.89 a gallon in late 2006. A total of 50 drive-offs were reported in 2006, down from 67 in 2005.

Police note that, not surprisingly, gas drive-offs increase as the price of gas increases, even though people who pump and run can lose their license for up to a year if they are caught.

While thefts were down, burglaries were up to a three-year high with 142 reported. There were 34 vehicles reported stolen and 26 shoplifting cases reported.

As for violent crime, assaults remained the top offense here with 272 reported, compared to 247 last year and 284 in 2004. Of the 272, domestic assaults accounted for 163.

More serious aggravated assaults were up slightly in 2006 from 23 to 29. There were two robberies, down from the seven which occurred in each of the past two years. There were 28 sex crimes, which is right on the four-year average here, and 23 instances of child neglect and abuse.

Drug arrests rose to a four-year high in 2006 with 192 suspects taken into custody compared to 127 last year and 160 in 2004.

In the area of motorist and codes enforcement, police issued 6,858 citations in 2006, the lion?s share, 2,112, coming for speeding. There were 1,432 tickets issued for seatbelt violations and 587 for driver?s license violations. The noise ordinance led to 167 tickets.

There were 153 motorists arrested for drunk driving.