Crime rates in Blytheville are on a downward swing for the year, and Blytheville Police Chief Ross Thompson said he would like to see this trend continue throughout the year and into the years to come.
Blytheville has seen a fairly significant decrease in overall crime numbers so far this year, especially when compared to the numbers from this time last year. To date BPD has processed 2,112 reports ranging from truancy to homicide, which is down 165 incidents from July of last year.
Some of the biggest drops have been in drug possession, down almost 43 percent, DWI, down 45 percent, rape, down 44 percent, and illegal weapons charges, down 28 percent.
Thompson said this is due, in large part, to the dedication of the officers and their ability to work with what they're given.
"Our officers are doing a very good job out there," Thompson said, "We're doing more with less than we ever have before. That's not easy, but I think these numbers reflect that."
Thompson said one of the trends the department has seen this year has been a decline in random crimes, particularly violent crimes. Although some of the violent crime numbers have risen, like assault, the decline in randomness actually makes the city safer, according to Thompson, who referenced the FBI's statistics on the matter.
"The FBI says that even if the actual number of incidents are higher a community is safer if the acts aren't random. I know that may seem a little hard to process, but targeted attacks reduces the likelihood of someone being hit at random," Thompson said.
Despite the overall drop in crime, some areas have seen marked increases. Breaking or entering incidents are up 41 percent from this time last year. This rise has continued in other similar crimes such as robberies and thefts, which have both seen spikes this year.
While some of these numbers may seem higher than in years past Thompson said the FBI warns against judging a community's well-being based on raw numbers, saying that as with most statistics there are always a number of variables that have to be figured in to the numbers to get a more complete view of what they represent.
For the time being, Thompson said he's happy with the drop in many of the numbers and added that officers are diligently working to make the city safer for its residents.
cpinkard@blythevillecourier.com