MONDAY, JANUARY 22, 2001
Tiffin police set call record
By Jefferson Wolfe
Staff Writer
Tiffin police broke their own record in 2000, responding to more than 19,000 calls.
The total was 19,478 calls, up from 1999's then-record 18,749. The statistics include all full years since the department started keeping computerized records in 1995.
The rise was in large part to more traffic enforcement, a summertime crackdown on junk vehicles and an emphasis on checking open doors and windows in the fall and early winter, Sgt. Fred Stevens said.
"Because of the breaking and enterings and thefts, we increased our vigilance on open doors and windows," he said.
For 2000, police were called to 125 break-ins after going to 100 reports in 1999.
Police were able to arrest a couple of groups that were committing break-ins of homes and vehicles, Stevens said.
Many of the vehicle break-ins happened because people did not lock their car doors and left valuables in plain sight. Police call this an opportunity crime because if the door was locked, the culprit generally continues on, looking for an open door, Stevens said.
The number of vehicle insurance citations went from 71 in 1999 to 119 in 2000, he said. This is in part because of a new procedure by the Department of Motor Vehicles. The department now sends letters to randomly-selected people, to check if they have insurance on their vehicles. If a person does not respond to the letter, the BMV will suspend the driver's license.
Officers do not make an arrest in that case, but the person is issued a ticket and has to come to court and show proof of insurance, Stevens said.
There also was in increase in the number of fingerprintings that the department did in 2000. In 1999, police fingerprinted 742 people. In 2000, that number went to 783.
Some employers require fingerprinting as a condition of employment. Tiffin police get a lot of requests because they perform the service for free 24 hours a day, whenever an officer is available.
"We've had them come up at 3 or 4 o'clock in the morning," Stevens said. "As long as an officer is available."
Police study the statistics to determine if there are any trends in crime and how to respond, he said. They also listen to input from the public, to include everything from break-in in a neighborhood to calls about speeding on a certain street.
"The public's complaints are heard," Stevens said.
The year-end statistics also include: 1,912 traffic warnings, and 573 speeding citations -- a ratio of more than three warnings for every speeding ticket. In 1999, police wrote 1,479 warnings and 458 speeding tickets.
Police take into consideration several factors when deciding whether to issue a citation or a warning, including the weather, the amount and type of traffic, the time of day and the amount of speed over the limit, Stevens said.
A total of 1,008 traffic citations were issued in 2000. This includes speeding, failure to yield, stop sign violations and so on.
There were 100 driving under in influence citations in 1999, and 116 in 2000.
Since the computer system was put in place in June 1995, the yearly total number of calls has risen. In 1996, the first full year, police received 17,972 calls. In 1997, there were 18,213. In 1998, the number was 17,982. In 1999 and 2000, the numbers increased each year.
Other numbers from 1999 and 2000 include:
1999:
- Robbery: 9
- Auto theft: 29
- Drug laws: 45
- Family offenses: 260
- Drunken driving: 123
- Traffic accidents: 1,280
- Rape/sex crimes: 51
- Drunkenness: 120
- Aggravated assault: 7
- Other assaults: 304
- Arson: 6
2000:
- Robbery: 4
- Auto theft: 20
- Drug laws: 55
- Family offenses: 249
- Drunken driving: 116
- Traffic accidents: 1,209
- Rape/sex crimes: 61
- Drunkenness: 132
- Aggravated assault: 7
- Other assaults: 329
- Arson: 2