Lake Co. sheriff says crime down, arrests up in 2009

A drop in overall crime and an increase in arrests in 2009 marked what Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran called Monday the "hallmark of productivity in law enforcement."

Curran said the total crime index, or the rate of crime per 100,000 residents, decreased by 17.1 percent in 2009 from the year before.

At the same time, Curran said, total arrests in all categories were up over the same period by 40.1 percent, while drug crime arrests were up 110.8 percent.

"It is really the hallmark of productivity in law enforcement to have arrests go up while crime turns down," Curran said. "It is a result of our command staff being engaged and proactive and our officers being dedicated and efficient."

Curran said criminal sexual assaults were down 35 percent, aggravated assaults and batteries dropped 23.2 percent and burglaries dropped 15.3 percent.

Arrests for robberies in the same period went up 125 percent. Burglary arrests were up 185.4 percent and theft arrests increased by 25.2 percent.

The only categories that bucked the positive trend were a 50 percent increase in reports of robbery and a 41.2 percent decrease in arrests for criminal sexual assault.

Curran said he believed a number of innovative practices, including targeting specific areas where crime spikes were noted with increased patrols, were significant contributors to the statistical success.

In addition, he said, patrol districts are frequently divided in half for more concentrated patrolling and the criminal investigations division has gone to seven-day detective coverage.

Partnerships with municipal and other law enforcement agencies have paid off in increased cooperation and information sharing, Curran said.

He also said the citizens of the unincorporated areas of the county are also coming to the aid of law enforcement as the number of Neighborhood Watch programs currently run by his office stands at 50, double the number of recent years.

"The citizens are our number one ally in the war on crime," Curran said. "We ask them to be our eyes and ears out there, and they are responding."