GREEN BAY, WI (WTAQ) – The Green Bay Police Department is out with their updated 2019 crime numbers.
Overall, things look good, while a few troubling trends exist.
In the big picture, Police Chief Andrew Smith can’t complain.
The six-month snapshot from January through June shows crime down in two big categories.
“Violent crime is down six-percent, property crime is down seven-percent,” he explains. “When you take the aggregate, it’s a total so far this year compared to last year, of about seven-percent.”
The importance of that can’t be understated, while Chief Smith has a few ideas regarding why the numbers are trending down.
One, he believes the department has a reputation for being relentless and that word is getting around that anyone who commits a violent crime will be caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent.
While additionally, he says neighborhoods have been great about providing them with information and tips that may be leading to a reduction in both categories.
With that being said, other categories are unfortunately going the opposite direction.
“Motor vehicle theft,” he explains. “We are at 78 right now, we were at 60 last year, and last year we were up over the year before.”
And it’s not always a vehicle that’s being stolen, sometimes it’s just valuables left uncovered somewhere inside.
“Theft from autos, that’s another concern,” he explains. “We had 143 this year, last year 131, up nine-percent.”
Chief Andrew Smith says the best safeguard is to keep your vehicle locked and garages closed, so as to not entice burglars.
According to him, they recently arrested someone who admitted to “car shopping.”
He says that’s when someone will loaf around a strip mall or any popular parking lot and simply look inside each vehicle.
“And if he sees something in a car that he wants or has value, he’ll try the door,” explains Smith. “If the doors open, he’s in and he takes what he wants.”
In most cases, it’s not hardened criminals that are taking part in this type of crime.
“These are kids walking through neighborhoods or riding their bikes out at night and pulling on door handles,” says Smith.
