CRIME DATA FOLLOW CITY GROWTH

BLOOMINGTON - Reports of violent crime rose 12 percent last year in
Bloomington, with higher numbers coming from the city's growing
southern corners. At the same time, property crime reports, while
also up in those areas, were down about 3 percent citywide.

The Bloomington Police Department has released raw data tallying
different criminal offenses across the city's seven police "beats,"
or geographic sections of the city. The Pantagraph selected eight
violent crime categories and six property crime categories in looking
at where crime is highest and where it has increased.

Working with raw data

The statistics show the number of reports, but not necessarily the
actual number of crimes.

Selected violent crime categories are assault; battery; homicide and
attempted homicide; intimidation; kidnapping; robbery; sexual
assault; and other sex offenses. Selected property crime categories
are arson; burglary; burglary and theft from a vehicle; damage and
trespassing to property; theft of a vehicle; and general theft.

Bloomington crime analyst Carl Fever cautioned the raw data may not
be a true indicator of how much crime is going on in an area, noting
one incident can result in multiple crimes tallied in the report.

And police department officials, responding to a series of Pantagraph
questions, said the murder rate has been stable in the last five
years, forcible rape reports fell from 2004 to 2005, and the overall
crime rate has been relatively stable over the last five years.

But drug addiction "-particularly involving heroin - has helped fuel
an increase in robberies since 2002. The department said burglaries
and thefts also have increased with the rise in drug addiction. But
crime statistics also tend to increase with population growth,
according to the BPD.

"As Bloomington continues to grow in population, there is no reason
to believe that crime will go down," the department said. "More
people always means more demand for police services."

Property crime

While property crime reports were highest in the area northeast of
downtown in 2004, that area fell to third-highest in 2005 as reports
dropped 28 percent. Department officials said residents in the area
have been more active in neighborhood watch programs, which reduce
criminal activity.

In the city's southwest corner, there was a 19 percent increase in
violent crime reports from 2004 to 2005, and a 9 percent increase in
property crime reports.

Alderman Michael Matejka, whose ward is in that area, said officers
are trying to be vigilant, adding crime is cyclical, and the
statistics will change yearly.

"Any increase in crime is not good, and certainly requires additional
vigilance," Matejka said. "And I think where we've had the most
success in stopping crime - or in curtailing crime might be the
better way to put it - is where we have active neighborhood
associations and active crime watch groups."

Matejka said the increase in reported crime also may be a sign people
are more watchful and more willing to call police about criminal activity.

In the downtown area, crime appears to have increased dramatically,
but police said the difference is at least partly related to a change
in hown;crimes were reported in that patrol area. For example, crimes
reported at police headquarters, which is located downtown, often are
recorded in the downtown beat instead of the location where they occurred.

Southeast corner

The city's southeast corner had next to fewest violent and property
crimes in both 2004 and 2005, but still saw 30 percent more property
crime and 20 percent more violent crime reports in 2005, according to
statistics. Police officials said domestic crimes increased in the
mostly residential area.

"The high number of domestic reports has driven up crime reports all
over the city," the department said. "The BPD receives grant money
for the investigation of domestic violence cases, and therefore
tracking this category of crime has become better."

There also were numerous incidents in the areas of the Arbors at
Eastland apartment complex, including three sexual assault cases in
which a 14-year-old boy was recently imprisoned.

Citywide, sexual assault reports dropped from 65 to 58, while arrests
increased from 14 to 17.

Robberies/assaults

In 2005, Bloomington had the same number of arrests for robberies as
in the previous three years combined. But the total number of
robberies actually dropped by only one from 2004 to 2005.

The department said in 2005, officers arrested several robbers from
the previous year. And the increase in arrests is coupled with a
trend of more robberies involving multiple robbers.

Arrests for aggravated assaults and batteries jumped from 142 in 2004
- - a four-year low - to 218 in 2005. That coincided with a 26 percent
increase in such crimes.

Burglaries were up about 9 percent in 2005, and the number of
burglary arrests nearly matched the number in 2003 and 2004 combined.
The number of marijuana arrests jumped about 27 percent, while other
controlled substances arrests dropped by about the same percentage.

User Comments On This Story:

Note: All views and opinions expressed in user comments are solely
those of the individual submitting the comment, and not those of The
Pantagraph or its staff.

I hate cops wrote on April 23, 2006 2:23 AM:"Odd the highest jump is
marijuana arrest, not finding those who induce in aggravated assaults
and batteries. Possession of marijuana, which is normally the bulk of
these cases, is treated as a malicious act against humanity. I'm
happy knowing we spend more arresting peddling potheads and not
rapist and real humanitarian destructors."