The Benton Police Department is pleased to pass along that the overall crime rate in the city has gone down by 7.14%. This is based on information reported as part of the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) comparing crime data from 2013 to 2012.
The NIBRS crime statistics show that violent crime in the City of Benton was down 17.8% in 2013 when compared to 2012. During the same time periods, property crime was down 6.26% and it showed a total decrease of crime in the city down by 7.14% when looking at all categories. There was a slight increase in a few categories, but there were many categories that saw significant decreases which led to the overall reduction (See chart for more information).
In 2013, the police department changed its focus to concentrate on repeat offenders and developing good community rapport. There was a focus on utilizing social media more to help build rapport with citizens in the community and to assist in fighting crime. Social media outlets allowed the department to communicate and reach more people in the community, and to help make them feel at ease with reporting crime and information to us.
Although there was an overall decrease in crime, there was an increase in the amount of calls for service from 37,242 in 2012 to 37,565 in 2013. The calls for service most likely will trend higher as the city population grows, but hopefully through various community programs and outreach the crime numbers will continue to decrease.
According to Chief Kirk Lane, “The enhanced programs and good community partnerships have resulted in a lot of positive trends in terms of crime fighting, but we will continue to forge additional bonds and to utilize innovative techniques to further reduce criminal activity in Benton.” He further added, “We are committed to making sure Benton is a safe place to live, play, and work for everyone.”
The recent passage of the public safety initiative last fall will allow for additional staffing that will further enhance public safety going into the future. It will provide for additional officers and dispatchers, equipment, and training in furtherance of this goal. Additional crime statistics can be found on the Benton Police Department website at: www.bentonpolice.org
Follow BNPD on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Benton-Police-Department/221829174560849
