Crime slips in North Little Rock 2016 data; still too much, chief says

A month-by-month breakdown of violent crime and property crime in North Little Rock.
A month-by-month breakdown of violent crime and property crime in North Little Rock.

Police data show overall crime was down in North Little Rock last year, a decrease mostly driven by a drop in property crime.

North Little Rock saw a 5 percent decrease in total crime last year compared with 2015 figures, data show. Property crimes were down 5.4 percent last year while violent crimes stayed relatively level, dropping less than 1 percent, according to police data.

Police Chief Mike Davis said the department has worked hard to address criminal activity on a daily basis, whether that means adjusting patrols or adding more resources in certain areas of the city.

"I think we have work to do, all agencies do, and we're trying to be quicker in our response to deal with problems," Davis said.

Across the United States, crime has dropped since the the early 1990s.

But Davis said victims do not care if crime is down compared with decades past. Davis said he does not like making the comparison, either.

"Today's today," he said. "There's too much crime today. There's too [many] robberies, too many shootings."

Although there was an overall decrease last year, totals for violent crime and property crime were up compared with 2014 figures.

Last year, North Little Rock recorded 400 violent crimes, an 18.7 percent increase compared with 2014. The same trend applied to property crime, which was up 5.5 percent compared with 2014.

Cases of aggravated assaults also rose for the second straight year, according to the data.

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Overall totals for violent and property crime did not include incidents of simple assault or cases of intimidation.

North Little Rock Mayor Joe Smith praised the department's community engagement and said the city's efforts to prevent crime have played a role in last year's decrease.

The department, he said, has worked hard to create strong relationships with community members -- relationships that encourage residents to speak up when issues arise in the neighborhood.

"They trust that we are going to act on it," Smith said.

In recent years, the city formed a leadership group made up of presidents from North Little Rock neighborhood groups, he said. The group now holds monthly meetings to discuss safety topics, Smith said.

"That has been very beneficial to the neighborhoods as well as the city," said City Council member Linda Robinson, who represents Ward 2.

Robinson said she has seen police officers become more involved in local neighborhood groups, keeping residents educated and informed on crime trends happening in the area.

The department recorded nine murders and cases of non-negligent manslaughter in 2016, three fewer killings than the year before, data show.

The city also saw a 9.4 percent decrease in robberies last year with 116 incidents, data show.

Thefts from motor vehicles were up for the second straight year in 2016, data show. There were 546 thefts from motor vehicles last year, a 47 percent increase from 2014, according to police data.

Sgt. Brian Dedrick, a police spokesman, said the department warns residents about vehicle break-ins at every community meeting, and even hands out fliers to the public stressing the need to take valuables out of vehicles.

Vehicle burglaries can also be prevented by locking doors, Davis said.

Smith praised the city's relationship with its landlords in reducing crime, mentioning that a substantial amount of criminal activity takes place in rental properties.

If police don't have enough evidence for a search warrant on a drug house, Davis said, the department has no problem informing the property owner of the situation.

In the past, Davis said, the goal was to make an arrest at a drug house. But now, he said, police aim to shut down the activity and force them to move.

"To the neighbor, they don't care if you make the arrest or not," he said. "All they want is that problem gone."

Metro on 04/17/2017

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