News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
Criminal cases in Sisters are up from this time last year, and Sisters Police Chief Rich Shawver believes the statistics indicate a rising pattern.
"It just appears to me when (statistics) are going up on a monthly basis, it's a trend - not a good one," Shawver said.
Sisters police handled a total of 50 criminal cases in November, compared to 23 in November, 1996. In October, the department dealt with 43 cases, compared to 17 in October, 1996.
Shawver noted that residents don't need to be concerned about a wave of serious crime; the large majority of cases were misdemeanors. Still, crime appears to be on the rise, and Shawver had no clear-cut answer why - except that as the area grows, there is likely to be more criminal activity.
There were six felonies in Sisters in November, involving forgery, theft, criminal mischief, driving while suspended and unauthorized use of a vehicle. There were 22 misdemeanors ranging from fourth-degree assault to harassment.
As the criminal caseload rises, Sisters' traffic enforcement declines. Police issued44 traffic citations in November, compared to 76 in November 1996. Officers issued 20 citations in October compared to 71 in the same month last year.
Part of the decline in traffic enforcement can be attributed to short staff levels. Officer Todd Williver was at the police academy through October and most of November.
But Shawver said that the rising criminal caseload has weakened traffic enforcement, because criminal cases always take precedence over traffic patrol.
Shawver noted that even the most minor criminal cases - such as a dog-at-large problem - can take officers' time away from other duties.
"It's all time consuming," Shawver said. "Just the time it takes to write a report takes an officer off the street."
But Shawver believes that the likely merger of police services with the Deschutes County Sheriff's Department will help matters, with county technical support freeing up patrol officers for more time on the streets.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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