GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – A number of restaurant robberies and numerous shootings in Green Bay may seem like the city is high in crime and unsafe, but Green Bay’s Police Chief says the numbers tell a positive story.
Chief Andrew Smith says crime in Green Bay is down 12 percent from last year and violent crimes show a significant decrease.
“For a city the size of Green Bay, I would say we could take our numbers against just about anyone. We are really proud here in Green Bay.”
The Chief says the department prides themselves on being known for catching criminals.
“We want to make sure that crooks know that this is not the place to commit a crime and if you do it in Green Bay, you are going to get caught. Come here on vacation, leave on probation.
He says he feels that message is being heard as crime numbers overall are dropping.
2018 has a been a busy year for Green Bay Police responses to criminal activity, but Smith says there is no way to stop every criminal from doing bad things.
He says catching criminals after they commit a crime is important police work. but it is also important to prevent crime from happening. One way that is done is getting the right messages sent to kids in the community.
“We are doing a lot with a school resource officers in our school to help educate the kids.”
Smith says teaching kids of the dangers of drugs is a common part of that. He says numbers show that many crimes that are committed, stem from drug activity.
“A drug addict with a bad drug habit is just a criminal waiting to go out and try to do something to fuel that drug habit.”
Police officers also develop good relationships with kids in the community. One example is officers will sometimes eat lunch with students at school. The Police Department also has a program that allows kids, mostly at-risk kids, a chance to spend some time at the Police Department with officers to learn about positive behavior.
Coming from the experience of working in Los Angeles, Smith says for a city the size of Green Bay, he would take their crime numbers against similar cities.
“When I came to Green Bay, I feel like I died and went to heaven,” Smith said. “Green Bay is a safe community and a great place to live and raise a family.”
