Crime has crept higher in 2007, despite replenished staffing
after last year’s
”
baby boom,
”
which pulled 11 officers from Gilroy streets to take family
leave.
Gilroy – Crime has crept higher in 2007, despite replenished staffing after last year’s “baby boom,” which pulled 11 officers from Gilroy streets to take family leave.
The good news: Aggravated assault dropped 23 percent from January to March 2007, compared to the same period in 2006. Traffic citations have nearly tripled, after the city gained a designated traffic officer. And feedback on officer conduct is overwhelmingly positive.
The bad news: Overall crime is up 10 percent, while adult arrests have dropped 9 percent. Burglaries increased 20 percent, from 65 to 78 in the first quarter, while simple assaults increased 30 percent, from 71 to 92. Meanwhile, a rash of rapes – seven in the first quarter and at least three reported since – has troubled victim’s advocates.
Chief Gregg Giusiana said the three-month statistics “don’t trigger a lot of concern.”
“In three months, things like whether it’s warm or cold can affect crime rates,” he said. Still, the chief added, “we’re watching the trend. We’re concerned when we see it creeping.”
But Cpl. Jim Callahan, president of the police union, said the uptick has only worsened already-high crime rates. Staffing has fallen far short of the 1.5 officers per 1,000 people set by city council years ago, he said, and the department would need to hire 14 more officers to achieve that ratio. Currently, the Gilroy police-to-population ratio is around 1.2 per 1,000. Morgan Hill ratios are even smaller: the city’s 0.91 per 1,000 ratio was only recently bumped to 0.96, after some new hires.
Gilroy’s ratio “represents an almost 20 percent shortage in law enforcement officers,” Callahan said. “No one can possibly believe that this will not have an effect on our crime rate.”
Several specific crimes have driven the increase.
Graffiti has skyrocketed, said Giusiana, though first-quarter crime reports lacked data on the number of graffiti calls fielded by community service officers this year. Though rapes are generally too few in number to bump crime rates significantly, seven rapes this January through March, compared to one in the same period in 2006, have taxed agencies such as Community Solutions, which provides advocates for rape and domestic violence victims. Domestic violence reports have also increased, up 16 percent from 2006, from 49 to 57 reported cases.
“For months, it seemed like there was one reported every week,” said Perla Flores, director of the agency’s Solutions to Violence programs. “We’re glad that clients are coming forward and looking for services, but it’s difficult … Ultimately, we wish these services weren’t needed.”
The dramatic increase in traffic citations is likely due to the work of Nestor Quiñones, who was assigned as traffic officer this year. The job had been unfilled since 2005, when Joseph Crivello was promoted out of the position. This year, citations jumped 162 percent. Unfortunately, the accident rate has risen as well, from 2.39 accidents per 1,000 to 2.89: Four hit-and-run accidents, compared to one last year, helped boost the count.
Frustration with staffing isn’t new among Gilroy police: In February, presented with five-year crime statistics, Callahan made similar remarks about the need for the department to grow along with the city it protects. Recently, police administrators presented a plan to shift start times for “swing shift” officers, who typically start patrolling at 4pm and leave at 2am. Under the new plan, the team of six people would start work at 2pm and depart at midnight on weekdays. Weekends would stay on the old schedule.
“The mere fact that we need to juggle these time slots is indicative of staffing problems,” said Callahan, who said shifting the schedules could deplete late-night staff.
Giusiana said the proposal isn’t a response to crime rates, but rather to an increase in afternoon calls for service, as well as accumulated paperwork during the day.
“Officers were taking reports during the day, and they piled up” in the afternoon, the chief said. “We felt we had to do something.”
The new schedule will go into effect in July on a test basis, he said.
City council doesn’t review the quarterly crime reports, though the data are made available to them at City Hall. Major crime issues are brought to council’s attention by the police, Mayor Al Pinheiro said, and the council reviews annual crime statistics at a joint retreat with police every fall. Pinheiro hadn’t reviewed the first-quarter reports and said he couldn’t comment on any increases or drops.
“The police have a handle on it,” Pinheiro said. “If they have an issue, we’ll meet.”
