Workshop Item: 1 - Chris Olson, Police Chief
Title
CRIME AND POLICE ACTIVITY REPORT
Background
As we analyze crime and police activity, we rely on certain entities and the publications which are produced and compile data and put the data into useable formats. Yearly the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) publishes the Minnesota Crime Information Report for the prior year. The information the BCA obtains comes from local police departments and sheriff's offices as we submit data on a regular basis. The data which the BCA compiles is also submitted to the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) Uniform Crime Reporting Program. From this compilation, we can observe statistical information and trends.
Frequently those statistics which are first to be analyzed and discussed are those which cover Part I* and Part II** crimes. The Minnesota Crime Information Report documents the following information: 2009 Minnesota experienced a 6.4% drop in Part I Crime and in 2010 a 2.5% drop in Part I Crime. In 2009 Blaine experienced a 9.7% drop in Part I Crimes and a 4.6% drop in Part II Crimes; for 2010, a 7.8% drop in Part I Crimes and a 14.6% drop in Part II Crimes. Many of these trends are similar throughout the country. As to specific reasons for these trends is often subject to debate and speculation and likely no one particular individual, program or agency can take responsibility for the trend (whether up or down).
For certain statistical and trend analysis, and the importance of consistency and validation through sources, waiting for this data into the following year is sometimes necessary. On the other hand, data needs to be reviewed more frequently so the police department has more of an ability to spot trends and react quickly. Up to this point, we have analyzed data on quarterly basis but, though somewhat more informal, down to a daily basis. Trends are spotted through report analysis by Crime Prevention, Patrol, Investigations or Neighborhood Intervention, or a combination of these.
Our two major data sources for crime information and police activity come from our current records and dispatch systems. These two systems do not communicate and data analysis can be very laborious and time consuming. With the potential implementation of the Anoka County Public Safety Data System (PSDS) in 2014, the hope is that we gain the ability to conduct crime analysis on a more frequent, if not instantaneous, basis.
In the meantime, the ability to spot trends quicker, which means less victimization and an increased likelihood of recovering property or making an arrest, is one of our goals. As we wait for the PSDS, for the time being, we have contracted with a company CrimeReports.com to help us work through our existing data.
Crime Prevention is our major goal. This is not only those very important programs (Night to Unite, Citizens' Academy, Safety Camp, etc.) that you are familiar with but a manner in which to equip our citizens and businesses so they do not become victims of crime. Crime Prevention becomes a goal in which we need everyone's help. Statistics will go down if our citizens and businesses are not victims of crime. We must be realistic in our analysis; an increase in a particular statistic may be the result of better reporting and more police activity (i.e., a pro-active retail establishment that reports and prosecutes on every shoplifting). No matter the cause for a downward trend, everyone benefits from less crime.
*Part I Crimes: murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft, and arson.
**Part II Crimes: other assaults, forgery/counterfeiting, fraud, embezzlement, receiving and concealing stolen property, damage to property, weapons violations, vice, alcohol violations, and others.
DISCUSSION POINTS:
-Crime and Police Activity Presentation
-CrimeReports.com Presentation