Sean C. Morgan
Of The New Era
The annual number of police calls to Sweet Home Police Department decreased by almost 6 percent, to 9,002 in 2006 from 9,547 in 2005.
That is a little more than one call per hour.
Last year’s total was a sizeable increase from 2004, when police received 8,854 calls, up from 7,819 in 2003; 7,295 in 2002; 7.402 in 2001; 7,658 in 2000; and 6,981 in 1999.
While the number of calls dropped slightly last year, police didn’t feel like the pace had slowed down much, Chief Bob Burford said.
“My sense right now is that’s because of the nature of the calls that we had,” he said.
For a second year, Burford said, he suspects Sweet Home had a high number of burglaries and thefts, which require time to solve. The more time officers can devote to those, the better the chance they’ll be able to solve the crime, he said.
Burford said police have not completed breaking their statistics down by types of calls, so he could not say for sure whether burglaries and thefts were up or down. He said that information should be available by mid-February.
The Sweet Home Budget Committee and City Council approved the expansion of the police force by one officer last year to help deal with the high call loads.
“Part of the problem has been, and it’s probably going to continue, that was approved to take effect July 1,” Burford said.
Since then, net officer staffing levels have been up by one officer although the department has steadily had a position or two open, Burford said. Right now, police have one officer vacancy after Officer Brian Stevens left to take a job in the private sector.
Police have one full-time and one part-time dispatch positions open. The department is in the recruiting process for all three positions.
Among existing officers, one new officer finished training and started working on his own in December. Another will do so in January.
The department is authorized for a total of 15 sworn police officers, including 10 patrol officers, two sergeants, two detectives and the chief.
In effect, the department went from roughly eight patrol officers to nine, Burford said. “Right now, I’m staffed what would have been full staff last year.”
The number of calls “haven’t hurt us as bad as it would have had we not had that extra person,” Burford said. “We’d be in a far worse position had we not been approved for a new officer position.”
Burford is not planning to ask for more regular officers in the budget cycle coming up in the spring, he said. Right now, he is exploring the idea of getting a school resource officer into the high school.
“Looking at the number of times that we respond to the School District, the district and the city both agree a school resource officer would be a huge benefit to the community, not only to deal with drugs, vandalism and violence issues at the school but also to be a resource and mentor for students who may be struggling,” Burford said. “With the passage of the levy, we’re hoping we can partner with the district and share the cost of the officer.”
“We love the concept,” District 55 Supt. Larry Horton said. “Now the question is, ‘Can we find the resources to support it?’ We’re getting ready to go into the budget process here in the next month, and that’ll be one of the items we’ll take a look at.
“If enrollment had not dropped so drastically over this last year it would be something we’d probably be ready to implement.”
The 122-student enrollment decline the district has experienced represents approximately $600,000 to the district, Horton said.
“As much as I know the high school would love to have a resource officer and as much as I would love to have a resource officer, a lot would depend on the resources available for such a position,” Horton said.
Burford indicated he was willing to put some funds toward covering the cost, Horton said. “We, as a district, greatly appreciate that.”
Curriculum Director Jan Sharp will look into grants that may help pay for the officer, Horton said, and the district has contacted Sheriff Tim Mueller to find out what kind of help the district might get from the Sheriff’s Office.
If a resource officer were funded, the officer would spend the school year working in the schools and would be available for general use during the summer, Burford said.