Sean C. Morgan
According to the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reports, Sweet Home has a higher crime rate than Linn County’s two larger cities, Albany and Lebanon.
But law enforcement officials question whether those numbers represent an actual spike in crime in this area of Linn County or whether they simply reflect a change in how crimes are counted.
In past years, Sweet Home boasted a lower rate, and then after a local spike in the crime rate in 2004 and 2005, Sweet Home held an advantage over Lebanon while staying about even with Albany.
According to data released late in 2011 for 2010, Sweet Home had a rate of 52.4 reported crimes per 1,000 population based on a population of 8,950. Lebanon had a rate of 39.98, and Albany was at 28.15. The national rate was 40.36.
But according to the FBI, Ore-gon rates are not comparable to previous years because of changes in the way they are reported. The FBI also cautions against drawing comparisons between communities because a variety of factors influence the crime rate.
Based on the city’s raw data, which include several crimes that are not included in the Uniform Crime Reports, for 2009 and 2010, the annual rates appear similar, said Sweet Home Police Chief Bob Burford, while the rate increased from 2009 to 2010, based on the UCR data.
“Just based on our numbers, we went years with internal bragging rights as the safest of the three cities,” Burford said. Later, Sweet Home was able to stay on par with the other two cities, but now Sweet Home is clearly behind.
“Our challenge will be to try to address that while at the same time bringing down 40 percent on staff,” Burford said.
In 2010, Sweet Home had 17 reported violent crimes, including three forcible rapes, two robberies and 12 aggravated assaults. The 2009 UCR showed one reported forcible rape, two robberies and three aggravated assaults. Other assaults are not included in the report.
The violent crime rate, which includes murder and non-negligent manslaughter, for Sweet Home in 2010 was 1.9 per 1,000. Albany was 1.76 per 1,000, and Lebanon was at 1.49.
In 2010, Sweet Home had 452 property crimes, a rate of 50.5 per 1,000. Albany had a rate of 26.39, and Lebanon’s rate was 38.49.
Sweet Home had 74 burglaries, 369 thefts, nine motor vehicle thefts and one arson. In 2009, Sweet Home had 310 property crimes, including 44 burglaries, 257 thefts, nine motor vehicle thefts and two arsons.
In the 2004-05 spikes, the crime rate increased from 71.2 to 84.7 and then 103.28 per 1,000 in 2005. That spike in the crime rate continued to decrease afterward.
The Sweet Home Police Department is just beginning to tabulate data for 2011, and Burford is hoping to have it available by the end of January. It includes other crimes as well, including crimes such as criminal mischief and simple assault.
Based on a brief look at preliminary numbers for 2011, Burford expects statistics to be close to 2010, but that’s based on how the department initially classified reports. Those can and will change based on the particulars of each case.
In 2011, a couple of statistics likely will be larger.
“We’re still a small community, and one or two individuals who make it their mission in life for a time to go out and steal can cause our stats to shoot up,” Burford said. In 2011, for a couple of months, the city was hit hard with car clouts. It happened again, more expectedly, just prior to Christmas.
Raw numbers for 2010 and 2011 show domestic violence calls shrinking, “but we do seem to be seeing more of the person-to-person assaults trending more weapons-based rather than just a punch.”
Det. Cyndi Pichardo said the department is dealing with more mental and police officer hold calls than usual. Police officer holds are used to transport individuals who may be a danger to themselves or to others to the hospital for mental evaluation.
The number of police officer holds is similar between 2010 and 2011, Burford said, but the number of calls about “mental” persons has doubled.
Those figures will be available after the department completes its annual report at the end of this month or in February.