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Crime statistics improve Mail Tribune / Jim Craven Medford police Detective Bill Ford "dusts" a car door for fingerprints while investigating the car�s theft. Reports of auto thefts in Medford were down last year compared to 1999, but thefts of items in vehicles increased. Police blame much of that property loss on unlocked doors. Medford logs fewer property crimes in 2000 By JILL BRISKEY Reports of robbery, burglary and stolen vehicles dropped in the city of Medford during 2000, compared with 1999 statistics. But reports of rape, theft from vehicles and fraud were on the rise, according to Medford police Lt. Tim George. Pleased with last year�s progress � which included a 10.5 percent drop in intoxicated driving reports � George credits the recent trends to residents and to the police department. Total crime reports in Medford dropped According to statistics, total crime reports in Medford dropped 35.42 percent in 2000 compared to 1999. However, Medford police�s new computer-aided dispatch system no longer assigns case numbers to "no reports" (cases that turn out to be false) which accounts for part of the decrease in specific crimes such as burglaries, robberies and car thefts. In 1999, police handled a total of 47,983 reports compared to the 30,989 cases in 2000. Reports: 1999 2000 Rape 19 26 Manslaughter 0 1 A. Assault 143 151 Bicycle theft 283 299 Shoplifting 677 622 Arson 53 48 Vandalism 1450 1507 Sex crimes 134 101 DUII 635 568 Kidnap 17 13 Trespass 540 470 Bomb threat 8 5 � Medford police did not handle any reports of murder or homicide in 1999 and 2000. "Certainly the citizens of Medford, especially the neighborhood watch, can take some credit for that," George said. "It�s also through diligent, nuts-and-bolts, basic police work." According to Medford�s reported crime statistics for 2000, robbery dropped 25.64 percent last year, from 39 reports in 1999 to 29 reports in 2000. Residential and non-residential burglary reports also dropped last year, a combined dip of 17.67 percent compared to 1999�s data. Community service officer Howard Pendleton said the 192 active neighborhood watch groups in the city have a lot to do with those figures. "People are more aware that they need to call us," Pendleton said. "I�m positive, in my mind, that burglaries have gone down regularly, throughout the years, since we�ve started the neighborhood watch programs." The arrests of habitual offenders contribute to the recent drop in reported crime, George said. He cites the recent arrest of Richard Allen Ward Jr. � the main suspect in at least five local auto thefts � as a prime example. With the assistance of Central Point police, Ward was arrested late Monday night at a home on Manzanita Street, said Medford Detective Bill Ford. Officers found $1,000 worth of stolen property from a recent burglary in Trail, and a 1990 Honda Accord that was stolen out of a garage in Eagle Point, said Ford. Ward � convicted of car theft in 1999 � was jailed without bail on suspicion of parole violation. "We are expecting additional charges on him," Ford added. Ward�s arrest, along with the effort it took to find him, shows why reports of various crimes are dropping, George said. Statistics show that vehicle theft reports fell last year from 209 in 1999 to 200 in 2000. A drop in driving under the influence of intoxicants (DUII) cases � 635 in 1999 compared to 568 in 2000 � shows a direct link to a 17 percent increase in motor vehicle injury reports in 2000, George said. Police believe most motor vehicle injury accidents are caused by drunk drivers. "The more DUII arrests, the fewer accidents," he said. "Our DUII numbers are down slightly. That would support why our injury rate for accidents has gone up." There also were more thefts from vehicles last year, statistics show. "More and more often, items of high value are being kept in cars," George said, adding that at least half of all thefts from vehicles take place when car doors are left unlocked. George said the rise in certain types of fraud cases � 123 cases reported in 1999 compared to 242 in 2000 � comes from two recent changes. Moving various fraud reports out of the civil arena into a criminal one has accounted for much of the 96.75 percent increase, he added. The rise in technology, including Internet and computerized forgeries, also plays a large role in the increase, he added. "We�re taking on more cases now than ever before," George said. As for rape cases, police aren�t sure why figures rose in 2000. Statistics show 19 reports of rape were made in 1999, compared with 26 in 2000. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail [email protected] Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.