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'Bark in the Park' Raises Alzheimer's Awareness
Midland Police: Crime Down Despite Population Boom 9/7/12
City of Midland Press Release
September 7, 2012
Midland Police Department reports a sharp decline in crime rates even as the city population continues to surge. Chief Robinson says, "This goes against what people might think." Adding, "Our community and our officers are doing great work together to keep Midland safe." The department has seen a decrease in sexual assaults, robbery, burglary and theft. While it may be a fallacy that crime rates grow in conjunction with population rates, Chief Robinson knows there's work to be done.
Midland Police encourage citizens to be persistent in locking their vehicles and securing items, especially items left in the bed of a truck. The department has seen a recent increase in auto burglaries and auto theft. The auto burglaries are occurring in Northwest Midland and unfortunately a number of those vehicles were left unlocked.
There have been 16 more vehicles stolen this year which is up 21% from last year. Chief Robinson notes that nearly half of those incidents could have been easily avoided by the owner locking their vehicle and taking the keys. These types of opportunistic crimes can decrease with citizen awareness.
Additionally, traffic accidents have increased in The Tall City as residents adjust to the influx of traffic. Midland Police remind residents to allow for traffic delays by adding a few extra minutes to their commute, obey all speed limits, and limit cell phone usage while operating a moving vehicle. Personal responsibility and elimination of distractions will greatly aid community efforts to improve driving safety.
Part I Crime
Jan 1, 2012 to July 31, 2012. Down 6%
Rape (-10%)
Robbery (-12%)
Burglary (-29%)
Auto theft (+21%). Looking at the reports showed that the keys were left in almost ½ of these vehicles.
Residential and Business burglary
January 1, 2012 to July 31, 2012 - 368 burglaries.
January 1, 2011 to July 31, 2011 - 518 burglaries.
January 1, 2010 to July 31, 2010 - 601 burglaries
The current number reflects a 38% decrease from 2010
Traffic
Total traffic citations through July 31, 2012 - 9,537
January to July 2011 -
8,228
That's 1,309 more citations or a 16% increase.
Of those totals, there was a 44% increase in citations issued on Loop 250 from last year.
Traffic volume
Since 2008, there has been a 33% increase in the volume of traffic on our roads
Traffic accidents
January 1 to June 31, 2012 - 1,879 traffic accidents. At this pace, there could be approximately 3,758 by years end. This would equate to a 15% increase over last year.
Staffing
MPD currently has 1 vacant officer position. 6 recruits are in the Field Training Officer Program and 8 are in the current academy.