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Statistics show crime down in Medford By SARAH LEMON Mail Tribune Crime was down overall last year in Medford, but the rise in some categories shows that officers spent more time enforcing certain laws. Medford Police Department statistics released last week show a 23 percent drop in crime. Oregon index crimes - including homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, motor vehicle theft and arson - dropped by 5 percent in Medford. Police said they couldn't explain the drop in crime because department operations haven't changed much over the past year. Officers have been spending more time, however, focusing on certain crimes, said Medford police Lt. Mike Moran. "We're going to be proactive and make arrests," Moran said. Reports of drug offenses, driving under the influence of intoxicants and prostitution were up last year from 2000. But that doesn't mean those crimes are more common; offenders are just getting arrested more often, Moran said. Police have put more importance on training officers to be drug recognition experts to increase drug arrests. And money available to patrol for drunk or drugged drivers has allowed officers to target those offenses as well. The police department received a $10,000 federal grant in October to pay officers overtime to make more DUII arrests. Reported drug offenses were up 3.5 percent last year compared to 2000, and DUIIs increased by 4.6 percent. Police arrested 1,156 suspects for drug offenses and 591 alleged drunken drivers in 2001. Last year, reported prostitution increased dramatically after police in September set up a sting operation in a Medford motel that resulted in the arrests of six women and a man. There were 10 prostitution arrests reported in 2001. There was only one - a male suspected of promoting prostitution - in 2000. Medford police Chief Eric Mellgren said statistics are important when the department needs to decide where to place officers. But he doesn't respond solely to numbers because other important police services that help make the city livable, such as traffic enforcement, could suffer. Reach reporter Sarah Lemon at 776-4487, or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. | Dow Jones & Co., Inc. | Privacy | Contact Us Copyright � 2001 Mail Tribune, Inc.