For Falls police, 2008 was a challenging year when it came to certain types of crimes.
CompStat analysis shows that overall crime in the Falls increased by 6 percent in 2008 when compared to 2007. Increases occurred in both violent and property crime.
Violent crime, which includes murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault, was up 9 percent. Property crime, which consists of burglaries, larcenies and motor vehicle thefts, rose 5.4 percent.
On the surface those results might leave some residents shaking their heads. However, the department’s CompStat program is now allowing police brass to take a much closer and detailed look at the types of crimes that have driven the increases and the strategies they can employ for combating them.
For example, the increase in property crimes has been driven by an almost 27 percent spike in burglaries. Yet CompStat analysis also shows a more than 24 percent increase in burglary arrests.
“We’ve been better at investigating after the fact (then preventing burglaries),” Superintendent John Chella said. “You take a hit for the burglaries committed, but catch up with the arrests (of suspects).”
At the department’s most recent CompStat meeting, what to do about the city’s burgeoning burglary problem was a central topic of discussion.
“We need bodies (on the street),” said B Platoon Capt. David LeGault. “When you guys put out extra patrols — the saturation patrols — we get results.”
LeGault pointed to a recent burglary attempt at a Pine Avenue liquor store foiled when police arrived with one more officer than is normally on patrol at that time. It was the extra arriving officer who spotted the fleeing burglars.
“It happens that quick,” LeGault said. “If the extra (officer) isn’t there, we don’t see those suspects.”
Chella concurs and tells commanders targeted patrols, funded under the Operation Impact program, will be directed to the problem. CompStat analysis will help determine the times and places where the patrols are used.
When LeGault says patrol officers also need the public’s help, “Extra eyes and ears on the problem,” the captain says, Chella points to a reporter at the meeting and says, “We will educate the public (about the increased number of burglaries).”
There have been other factors behind the rise in burglaries in 2008. Detective Capt. Ernest Palmer points out some police reports mistakenly categorize the crime of criminal trespass as a burglary.
Early in the year, the city was wracked with a wave of metal, most copper-related, burglaries. CompStat analysis showed 17 percent of burglaries were “metals related.”
Falls detectives began aggressively targeting copper theft, even to the point of staking out the scrap metal yards where thieves were taking their hauls. The strategy worked.
“But as the price for metals dropped and we made arrests and the judges started giving stiffer sentences (in copper theft cases), (the number of burglaries) dropped,” Chella said.
In the area of violent crime, CompStat analysis shows a 20 percent increase in robberies in 2008. Like burglaries, it will be an area of emphasis for Falls police in 2009.
The ability of CompStat to highlight times and locations is already helping officers and detectives establish their strategies.
“The robberies, for the most part, are street muggings and that tends to be for drugs or drug related,” Palmer said. “We have been successful in breaking up some rings that were involved in home invasions and that was a high priority.”
Despite the bad news of crime increases, CompStat has also shown Falls police some notable successes. In the area of violent crime, rapes were down 42 percent.
In property crimes, thefts involving motor vehicles dropped 25 percent.
The 2008 increases in crime follow equally significant drops in 2007.
“Everyone suffers the same crimes and we proved last year we could (reduce crime),” Chella said. “The numbers (in 2008) are disturbing. I’m disappointed in the jump in overall crime.”
Yet Chella says Cataract City cops, now armed with CompStat, can create the strategies to bring crime back down again in 2009.
“In 2007, we had a pretty good year and everyone was patting themselves on the back,” Chella said. “Now we’re got to roll our sleeves back up and get back to it.”
What is CompStat?
Originated by the New York City Police Department in 1994, CompStat is shorthand for Comparative Statistics. It is a program that looks to improve community policing and crime prevention through the use of statistical analysis, intelligence gathering and improved departmental communication.
CompStat for the Falls police today involves the work of a crime analyst and a full-time field intelligence officer. Look here for future updates.
