First Posted: 3/25/2015
LIMA — Police Chief Kevin Martin was pleased by an overall decline in crime by 11 percent but said if the number is going to continue to decrease it will be through the help of residents.
“If I had to list one single item [to lower crime], it is to better engage the community and increase community involvement with the Police Department,” he said. “It’s the people who live in the neighborhoods who can give us the best information.”
Martin said police officials have done all they can with the implementation of programs, technology and other efforts to lower crime.
“We are very happy with the decline still headed in the same direction as it has been for several years, down,” Martin said, while cautioning numbers remain higher than he would like.
The decline represents an overall decrease in crime by 36 percent since 2008.
But the chief is betting the latest program, which is slated to begin in August, to put three community officers back into the city full time to meet with people and help residents with problems, will lower crime more.
Lima saw a decline in seven of the eight categories of crime that are reported to the FBI for the annual Uniform Crime Report released in the fall. Only burglaries were up by 19 to 601 comparing 2014 to the previous year. Murders remained the same at three.
Martin did not have an answer as to why burglaries were slightly up but said police officials continue to analyze numbers and look at trends for clues.
The biggest decline was in assaults, down 336 to 1,097 compared to the previous year. Martin credited that with targeting two locations where assault reports were high: after school and when bars are closing.
“We tried to have a very visible presence and a proactive presence,” he said.
There also was a significant reduction in rapes by 19 percent to 34 in 2014, and a reduction of motor vehicle thefts by 16 to 79 in 2014, when compared to the previous year, according to records.
The chief credits the decline in motor vehicle thefts to anti-theft devices on cars.
Martin said there are other reasons that contribute to a decline in crime. The use of social media such as posting the unknown robber of a gas station on Facebook that leads to a resident identifying the person is helping.
More people obtaining a concealed handgun license serves as a deterrent and makes some criminals think twice about going after a person, he said.
While crime is on the decline, Martin said it’s important to remember any crime that occurs leaves a victim behind whose life could be changed forever.
“When we talk about less crime what we’re really talking about is less victims, fewer people traumatized,” he said.
