APPLETON, WI (WTAQ) – Appleton Police say 2018 showed some pretty positive trends as the 2018 crime report has been released.
“It looks like our crime stayed pretty steady.”
That’s the good news.
Police Chief Todd Thomas says the data shows an increase in vehicle thefts, which he says occur in the winter. “We are seeing what a lot of other communities are seeing which is unattended vehicles running with the keys in the ignition.” He says leaving the doors unlocked becomes an invite for a crime. “That is just the perfect opportunity for somebody who is looking for a joy ride and they are typically kids or teenagers.”
Despite the addition of a behavioral health officer in 2018, Mental Health concerns and Opioid abuse calls were reported in large numbers.
“Those really are driving our numbers and our calls for service.”
Officers also responded to numerous overdose deaths and made many arrests having to do with drugs.
When it comes to use of force in 2018, Appleton officers were involved in one incident with the use of deadly force, fewer incidents involving a taser and for the fifth straight year, no incident involving OC spray or a baton.
The highly trained APD SWAT Team was deployed on eight occasions in 2018.
In 2018, the seven Police Communications Specialists fielded 87,008 incoming phone calls, issued 4,443 animal licenses, entered 9,882 warnings and processed 1,493 overnight parking requests, in addition to their many additional work duties.
Big investigations in 2018 included a shooting on Matthais Street and a shooting on Memorial Drive, a person practicing medicine without a license, the arrest of mother in death of disabled 13-year-old child, multiple states fraud investigation and the Chase Bank robbery.
