Report: Quarter Sees Reduction In Major Crimes

According to a report submitted by Chapel Hill Police Chief Gregg Jarvies at Monday's Town Council meeting, major crimes reported in the first quarter of the 2002-03 fiscal year, which runs from July to September, are down 31 percent from the same period last year.

Bill Stockard, assistant to the town manager, said first quarter crime rates only can be compared to the first quarter of the last fiscal year to rule out seasonal impacts on crime rates.

Police spokeswoman Jane Cousins said Jarvies' numbers refer only to major crimes. Major crimes are defined as homicide, rape, robbery, assault, burglary, larceny and motor vehicle theft.

In addition to the drop in crime rates, clearance rates for crimes is up 13 percent since last year's first quarter. Clearance rates are cases the department tracked to their conclusion.

But while crime and clearance rates were positively affected this year, crimes involving juvenile suspects increased 34 percent from last year, according to Jarvies' report.

Despite the decrease in crime rates, Stockard said it is too early to determine if the drop is reflective of local law enforcement's efforts. "Crime prevention programs might have had an impact, but (the crime rate drop) might just be a state and national trend," Stockard said.

The report could not attribute the drop solely to local efforts. It stated, "We anticipate that the rates will ultimately follow national and statewide trends."

Town Council member Mark Kleinschmidt applauded the drop as a "laurel" for local law enforcement.

"It's certainly wonderful news," he said. "We had a three-month period where we had a substantial decrease in crime. It's a reflection on the quality of police enforcement in Chapel Hill."

Council member Jim Ward said while the drop in the crime rate might be multifaceted, a positive economic climate and crime prevention efforts might have had an effect.

"We've been working as a county and as a community to allocate police resources to needy areas," he said.

Council members and police officials both say it's too early to tell if the drop in crime rates will be significant.

Ward said law enforcement officials expect fluctuations in crime rates over time, and Stockard said such a pronounced drop in one quarter might not be indicative of progress in crime prevention as much as a trend.

Kleinschmidt said crime rates have been steady over the last few years, with the exception of the recent drop.

Cousins said police will have a better idea of what caused the drop with time.

The City Editor can be reached at citydesk@unc.edu.