2009 Police Statistics—

Larcenies Drop,

Burglaries Rise

By Andrew Gorosko

Town police statistics compiled for the 2009 calendar year indicate a major decrease in the number of larcenies reported to police, with such theft crimes listed at 172 cases in 2009 compared to the 235 thefts which were reported to police in 2008, reflecting a 26.8 percent drop in that category of crime.

The high number of reported larcenies in 2008 stemmed largely from a rash of thefts from vehicles that hit the town, and especially the Sandy Hook section, from February to September 2008.

In 2008, police arrested four people on criminal charges in connection with the string of thefts from vehicles, most of which involved the thieves simply opening unlocked vehicles parked near homes during the nighttime and stealing small valuable items, such as cash, credit cards, digital music players, automotive navigation systems, satellite radios, cameras, cellphones, compact discs, audio equipment, and laptop computers.

Police Chief Michael Kehoe said this week that the high number of thefts that occurred in 2008 was an “anomaly,” when considering that an organized group of people was stealing the valuable items from vehicles. The chief said he is “relieved” that the theft rate has decreased.

The police statistics indicate that of the 172 larcenies reported to police in 2009, about one-sixth of the incidents, or 29 cases, were solved, resulting in arrests.

In 2009, the local burglary rate increased somewhat, with 44 burglaries reported in 2009, compared to 41 such crimes in 2008, representing a 7.3 percent increase in that type of crime. Police solved six of the 44 burglaries, representing almost one-seventh of those cases resulting in arrests.

The number of vehicle thefts reported in 2009 was eight, the same number of vehicle thefts that were reported the preceding year. Police solved one-half of those vehicle thefts in 2009.

The highest number of vehicle thefts in a given year during the past decade was 13 vehicle thefts, which occurred both in 2001 and in 2000.

The number of arsons reported in 2009 was one, the same number that had been reported in the preceding year. During the past decade, the highest number of arsons in a given year was four, which occurred in 2005, in 2004, and in 2003.

Police list the number of aggravated assaults, or serious assaults, reported to them in 2009 at five such cases. In 2008, there were no such crimes reported. The highest number of such crimes in this category in the past decade came in 2004, when ten such incidents were reported.

Police received one report of a robbery in 2009, the same number that occurred in the preceding year.

In 2009, police received reports of two rapes, compared to one rape in 2008, and four such cases in 2007.

There have been no murders locally since 2005, when one such incident occurred in the form of a murder-suicide. Preceding that, one murder occurred in 1999.

Motor Vehicles

In the area of motor vehicle law enforcement, town police made 75 arrests on charges of driving under the influence during 2009, reflecting a 13.7 percent drop since 2008, when there were 87 arrests for that offense.

During the past decade, the highest number of arrests in that category came in 2006, when town police charged 102 motorists with that violation.

Statistics compiled for 2009 indicate an increase in the overall number of motor vehicle of enforcement actions taken by police, when including both the summonses issued and the written warnings handed out by police, compared to 2008. Verbal warnings are not listed in the statistics.

The overall motor vehicle enforcement hike reflects a large increase in the number of written warnings issued, but a decrease in the number of summonses handed out.

In 2009, police issued 6,456 motor vehicle enforcement actions overall.

Police issued 2,720 summonses in 2009, compared to 3,263 summonses issued in 2008, reflecting a 16.6 percent drop in that category.

However, in 2009, police handed out 3,736 written warnings, which represents a 23.5 percent increase in that category in comparison to the 3,024 written warnings issued in 2008.

The statistics show that police handled 22,681 service calls in 2009, which exceeds 62 calls per day, on average. Such calls include self-initiated activities by police.

 In 2009, the number of service calls was 2,382 calls higher than in 2008, reflecting an 11.7 percent increase. By comparison, police handled 12,946 service calls ten years earlier in 1999.

In 2009, police received 1,619 alarms, of which two alarms were actual alarms.

By comparison, police received 1,793 alarms in 2008, and 1,883 alarms in 2007. In each of those two years, five alarms were actual alarms.

Chief Kehoe said that police receiving 174 fewer alarm calls in 2009 than in 2008, reflecting a 9.7 percent drop in such calls, is likely partially due to the town’s false alarm ordinance which seeks to have alarm users not have false alarms by specifying penalties for false alarms.

The police chief said he is heartened by the decrease in alarm calls, saying that receiving fewer alarms means that police have more time for other law enforcement activities. Each alarm requires that two police officers be dispatched to the alarm site.