Sweet Home had a 7.2 percent increase in serious crimes per 1,000 population from 2000 to 2001, according to recently released FBI figures for 2001.
Overall, the number of serious crimes was up 8.2 percent, from 426 in 2000 to 461 in 2001. Serious crimes, called part one crimes, includes such crimes as aggravated assault, rape, arson, burglary and murder. The number of part one crimes per thousand increased from 53.18 in 2000 to 57.01 in 2001.
Sweet Home had a population of 8,085 in 2001.
In comparison, Albany’s rate per thousand increased by 19.5 percent, from 70.02 to 83.7. Lebanon increased by 22.4 percent, 68.63 to 83.98. Portland has a rate of 80.4 per thousand in 2001.
Sweet Home has consistently remained below Albany and Lebanon in per capita crime since 1995, and longer, when Sweet Home had a rate of 72.93; Albany, 94.78; and Lebanon, 121.18. Sweet Home’s and Lebanon’s rates have not reached those levels since. Albany’s peaked in 1997 at 108.38.
In part two crimes, including such crimes as disorderly conduct, drug offenses, driving under the influence of intoxicants, simple assault and criminal mischief, Sweet Home had 11 fewer, from 1,549 in 2000 to 1,538 in 2001.
The number of part three crimes, including such items as disturbances, accidents and vehicle impounds, Sweet Home decreased from 5,919 to 5,837.
“I’m not perfectly happy with it,” Police Chief Bob Burford said. “I think we can still do better. We’re not going to quit working on it. (The increasing crime rate) is not just here. For the last several years, you’ve seen crime decline across the country. In 2001, we see it come up a little bit. I want to hang on to being able to point out that we’re the safest city in Linn County.”
To that end, “the last change we made, which is only possible when we’re up at full staff, we’ve assigned one officer to do follow-up investigations,” Chief Burford said. After taking initial reports, officers are often called to other cases, then their shifts end. At full staffing levels, one officer has time to follow up on those cases.
“We hope that will improve our numbers a little bit more,” Chief Burford said.
Sweet Home Police Department tracks and pays special attention to numbers in three key indicator crimes, three of the most common. They include criminal mischief, theft and burglary.
The number of thefts increased from 279 to 330 in 2001. Criminal mischiefs decreased from 106 to 104. Burglaries decreased from 81 to 74.