Violent crime in Morgan Hill is down 8 percent but property
crime rose 18 percent according the quarterly crime report released
by the Morgan Hill Police Department last week.
Violent crime in Morgan Hill is down 8 percent but property crime rose 18 percent according the quarterly crime report released by the Morgan Hill Police Department last week.
The drop in violent crime mirrors a statewide trend, Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming said.
“I’m happy that the department is moving in a direction I think is good,” Cumming said Friday. “Our officers are becoming more proactive, identifying crime trends quicker than we used to and getting on them more quickly.”
The biggest increases come in burglary and theft crimes, which are up by 47 percent and 15 percent, Cumming said.
“We saw a huge spike in burglaries, but our officers conducted a special crackdown and reduced a lot of the burglaries rather quickly,” said Cumming. “Almost all of it, burglaries, property crime, is tied to drugs. A tiny portion may be related to a weak economy, but the majority of it is drug-related.”
In spite of the rise in property crime, Cumming said he’s encouraged that violent crime is down.
“Although it’s hard to imagine sometimes, it is actually down,” Cumming said. “That mirrors a trend around the state, but I also think our officers are really doing a good job. They are enthusiastic in pursuit of criminals, they are coordinating things better, information is flowing around the department better, they are getting on these problems quicker. The community has a right to feel proud of these officers.”
With police staff stretched thin, the department has experienced an increase in overtime to cover for officers who are on leave for training, injuries and personal time, Cumming said. Special events such as the Mushroom Mardi Gras have also contributed to high overtime this year.
Likewise the police department responded to an increased demand for service, Cumming said. Up almost 3 percent over last year, officers answered 4,497 calls during the second quarter of 2005, according to the report. Officers also were more proactive this year, Cumming said, with 3,858 incidences of “self-initiated activity,” a 21 percent increase over last year.
“They have to deal with constant calls and complaints, issues of domestic violence, meth situations and child custody issues, things the average individual doesn’t see,” Cumming said. “I think our officers do a fine job of balancing calls for service with Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) with positive results.”
MHPD dispatchers were also busy during this time. Wireless calls from all services except Nextel are now routed to MHPD: 1,239 were received in April, May and June of this year, compared to 1,078 in Milpitas during the same time, 544 in Campbell and 235 in Gilroy.
Cumming said he’s hopeful the police force will continue to combat crime this year. With the addition of two new officers on Aug. 15, the MHPD will be fully staffed for the first time in at least three years, according to Cumming.
“It makes a difference, having a full staff,” he said. “Although there is always a training period, a learning period, we are happy to have them.”
Marilyn Dubil covers education and law enforcement for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106 ext. 202 or at md****@*************es.com.
