Most serious crimes drop in Sparta in '02

Fewer of the most serious crimes took place last year in Sparta, but misdemeanors were on the rise, according to a report released recently by the Sparta Police Department.

Overall, incidents of crime fell from 113 in 2001 to 108 in 2002. By the numbers, felonies dropped significantly, from 56 in '01 to 39 in '02, while misdemeanors increased from 57 in '01 to 69 in '02.

"We are very pleased that the number of felonies, the most serious crimes, have decreased in Sparta," said Det. Lt. Wayne Crouse. "We are also pleased that crime has decreased overall, but we still have our work cut out for us.

"We're doing all we can to keep the residents of the town safe from crime, but no matter what we do, there are still going to be criminals and they are still going to commit crimes," he noted. "We'll just try to be there when they do."

Crouse said that the number of felonies in the town is the lowest number registered since 1999, when 38 felonies were reported. That number increased to 50 in '00 and then 56 in '01 before taking the latest drop.

Meanwhile, the average for misdemeanors over the past five years has been 69.2 per year, meaning that this year's figure is on par with that average, despite the increase from 57 last year.

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