ROBBERIES UP SHARPLY IN 2003, STATS SHOW

There's good news and bad news in the crime statistics from the
Eufaula Police Department for the year 2003. Eufaulians experienced a
dramatic rise in robbery and theft of property incidents during 2003,
and police made 39 percent more arrests on drug charges than in 2002.

On the good side, there was a slight decline in domestic violence
incidents and juvenile arrests.

The crime statistics for the year are compiled from monthly totals of
offenses and arrests reported in the incident and arrest reports filed
in the department.

Robbery incidents increased by 52.94 percent, from 17 robberies
reported in 2002 to 26 in 2003. Officers responded to 461 reported
theft of property incidents, for an increase of 13 percent from the
year before, when the number reported was 408. In each of the two
years, police have cleared one-fourth or more of the thefts, clearing
151 in 2003.

Last year police work led to clearing eight of the 26 robberies, a
number Chief Kenneth Walker said he finds "disappointing." However, he
said one of the cases is headed for the grand jury, and in some cases,
the suspects just vanish. He said one of the goals this year is for a
higher rate of solving the theft and robbery crimes. There are now six
officers working in the department's criminal investigation, and
Walker believes they will be able to solve more crimes this year.

"It would help if we can get information, either from businesses or
individuals," Walker said. He said more thefts from businesses could
be solved if they would keep their video equipment up to date by
replacing tape when it runs out and making sure the cameras are working.

Drug arrests up

Chief Walker was also not surprised by the dramatic rise in the number
of drug arrests, up from 138 in 2002 to 192 last year. That number
includes felony and misdemeanor drug charges.

Walker said drugs drive the crime rate up, especially robberies and
theft of property cases.

Walker says the most serious crime problem Eufaula faces is drugs,
either using or selling, and the burglary and theft crimes can almost
always be tied to drug habits.

"I'm not going to sugar coat it," he said. "We know the drugs are here
and we are working hard, but we are just not stopping it." The three
drugs most prevalent in Eufaula now are powder cocaine, crack cocaine
and marijuana.

Walker said they are not hearing as much about methamphetamine as a
couple of years ago.

Patrolmen made 27 percent more traffic arrests last year than the year
before. In 2002 officers reported 2,481, and last year they reported
3,158, for an increase of 27.29 percent. Walker said one reason that
number went up is there are two more patrol officers on the street,
the result of increased funding by the city.

Either more people were staying at home to do their drinking, choosing
designated drivers, or drivers who had imbibed too much were lucky
last year. Officers reported an 18 percent decrease in the number of
people arrested for driving under the influence, down from 62 in 2002
to 51 in 2003.

There was a 4.69 percent decline in the number of juvenile arrests
reported, with arrests in 2003 numbering 128. Chief Walker was also
encouraged by the decline in number of domestic violence cases, down
6.3 percent from the year before. Even so, officers responded to 301
domestic violence calls.

There was also a 33 percent jump in reported vehicle thefts last year,
with 16 such thefts in 2003 and 12 in 2002.

Another area that saw an increase was assaults, which increased by
seven percent, from 85 to 91.

Arrests on felony charges increased seven percent, from 224 in 2002 to
240 last year. That number does not include felony drug arrests.

The department reported one homicide and one rape in 2003. The year
before there was also one homicide, and no rapes reported.

The police department reported fewer calls for service last year,
logging 42,919 calls. That's down five percent from 2002, when the
department received 45,199 calls.