Crimes down in Sparta

The number of offenses and incidents to which members of the Sparta Police Department responded to in 2007 decreased when compared to the numbers responded to during the previous year. The report showed that most crimes were down in 2007 as compared to the prior year.

The annual report, which highlights activities of the local police department has statistics for many of the department's actions.

Members of the department responded to 70 accidents in 2007, which about mirrors the 69 accidents to which the department responded in 2006.

Other activities in the department include the issue of 323 citations (down from 430 issued in 2006); response to one rape (down from two in 2006); 14 criminal damage to property charges (vandalism), down from 19 in 2006; 11 larcenies, the same as the previous year; 38 driving while impaired involving alcohol and/or drugs (up from 35 in 2006); and 81 arrests, up slightly from 77 arrests in 2006. Addressing the department's activity by category, in terms of incidents and investigations, forcible entry burglary and shoplifting each resulted in six investigations during 2007, while larceny from a motor vehicle, larceny from buildings, larceny from coin-operated devices and "all other offenses" resulted in a combined 20 investigations in 2007.

In the arrest category, 18 arrests were the result of all traffic violations for the exception of driving while impaired, with drug violations running a close second with 15 arrests. During 2007, a total of 11 activities resulted in a single arrest. They are: larceny from buildings, motor vehicle theft-all other motor vehicles, simple assault-all other simple assault, forgery-using/uttering, fraud- credit card/automated teller machine, possession/concealing stolen property, criminal damage to property (vandalism), drug violations- all other drug violations, possessing/concealing-non-tax paid liquor, escape from custody or resisting arrest, and city ordinance violations.

 

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