ASSAULTS TOP OSHKOSH'S VIOLENT CRIME

Violent crimes are on the rise in Oshkosh, new statistics compiled by
the FBI show.

Although four people were murdered in 2006, murder remains rare in
the city, forcible rape numbers have not risen in recent years and
robberies dropped in 2006. What's driving the increase in violent
crimes is aggravated assaults, which in Oshkosh accounted for 87
percent of the violent crimes documented in the FBI's annual Unified
Crime Reports.

According to the Unified Crime Reports, there were 197 violent crimes
committed in Oshkosh in 2006. Of those crimes, four were homicides,
but an overwhelming number of the crimes were aggravated assaults,
attacks on individuals that may involve weapons and result in severe
injury or great bodily harm.

The Oshkosh Police Department reported to the FBI that 171 aggravated
assaults took place in the city in 2006, a total making up 87 percent
of the city's violent crimes. That ranks Oshkosh second among the
state's largest 30 cities, behind Manitowoc, for the largest
percentage of violent crimes that are aggravated assaults.

It's not an unfamiliar spot for Oshkosh. Since 2000, Oshkosh has
consistently ranked among the top five in the state for the
percentage of violent crimes that were aggravated assaults, claiming
the top spot in 2003, 2004 and 2005.

"Our other assaults are going to be high compared to other violent
crimes because we don't have a lot of violent crime," Oshkosh Police
Chief Scott Greuel said. "And I don't think it's unusual to see that
in a town our size with the dynamics of drug and alcohol culture
Wisconsin has right now."

Oshkosh police reported 142 violent crimes were committed in 2000, a
number that dropped to 122 in 2003 before beginning a seven-year
climb to 197 in 2006. At that the same time, 116 aggravated assaults
took place in 2000, reaching a low of 91 in 2003 before reaching a
high of 171 in 2006, according to the Uniform Crime Reports.

Some law enforcement officials attribute that increase, in both
violent crime and aggravated assaults, to a growing drug culture.

Winnebago County District Attorney Christian Gossett said there has
been an increase in people coming from urban areas like Milwaukee and
Chicago to sell drugs.

"It's getting more violent. And somehow or other, I think it's tied
to drugs," Gossett said. "We may just be seeing the natural
progression of the drug trade."

Violence associated with drugs can erupt in various ways, Gossett said.

Dealers can fight with other dealers over territory, violence can
result in during a bad drug deal and individuals can resort to
self-enforcement rather than taking a problem to the police. Greuel
also noted that when individuals are under the influence of drugs or
alcohol, there is an increased likelihood they will partake in high
risk or assaultive behaviors.

While Greuel said police can increase education efforts and attempt
to increase the public's awareness about certain crimes, he said it's
difficult to try to curb some of the assaultive behavior that is
occurring in the city.

"A lot of these alcohol and drug related crimes are so spontaneous as
a result of high risk behavior," Greuel said. "Unless you reduce the
high risk behavior, you're not going to be able to stop those crimes
from happening."