MONROE - The Monroe Police Department annual report for 2010 shows the department is holding its own against crime and cutbacks, despite a zero increase in its operating budget for the past 10 years.
Police Chief Fred Kelley presented the report Feb. 28 at a meeting of the Public Safety Committee.
"We've kept operations going as well as we could," Kelley said Tuesday.
Some types of crime, such as theft and domestic abuse, are increasing as expected, in light of the tumbling economy, according to Kelley. But overall, crime is "sort of flat," he added.
"We're holding our own, but we'll see what next year brings," he said.
Speaking last week before the Public Safety Committee, Kelley noted an increasing presence of heroin in the community, caused in part by the city's proximity to major heroin markets. Police are finding heroin possession and use among a wide range of age groups, all the way down to middle school, Kelley said.
"It's just a matter of time before an overdose occurs," he said.
Overdoses have occurred with other drugs, Kelley said, even though methamphetamine dealing has "quieted down." The department had a major investigation last year resulting in seizure of a large amount of cocaine.
"Alcohol remains the number-one drug of choice and is found at more domestic disturbances," Kelley said.
According to the report, calls for department services have slightly increased, and many of those calls still involve violence in one way or another. Nearly every call that an officer responds to, particularly at night, involves alcohol.
Thefts had the biggest increase in 2010, but there was no increase in burglaries, Kelley said. The department also receives about two reports of identity theft per week.
Kelley said the central downtown district has seen an improvement with "no real groups hanging out there."
"It's now a quieter area," he added.
Officers have been dealing with an increasing number of parent-child conflicts, not categorized as abuse. Gang involvement and prevention fall within these areas, the report states. The report recommends more responsibility needs to be placed with the parents in dealing with these concerns.
The Police Department has continued to receive proof that its D.A. R. E. program, which it has fully funded for the last five years, has been successful in reducing drug use by its students and in providing contacts and relationships between officers and youth.
"However, the passing of Monsignor Campion last fall will have an impact on the DARE. program," Kelley said Tuesday.
Campion donated many of his Campion Champions T-shirts to the program, which were used as part of the rewards to DARE graduates.
Police Chief Fred Kelley presented the report Feb. 28 at a meeting of the Public Safety Committee.
"We've kept operations going as well as we could," Kelley said Tuesday.
Some types of crime, such as theft and domestic abuse, are increasing as expected, in light of the tumbling economy, according to Kelley. But overall, crime is "sort of flat," he added.
"We're holding our own, but we'll see what next year brings," he said.
Speaking last week before the Public Safety Committee, Kelley noted an increasing presence of heroin in the community, caused in part by the city's proximity to major heroin markets. Police are finding heroin possession and use among a wide range of age groups, all the way down to middle school, Kelley said.
"It's just a matter of time before an overdose occurs," he said.
Overdoses have occurred with other drugs, Kelley said, even though methamphetamine dealing has "quieted down." The department had a major investigation last year resulting in seizure of a large amount of cocaine.
"Alcohol remains the number-one drug of choice and is found at more domestic disturbances," Kelley said.
According to the report, calls for department services have slightly increased, and many of those calls still involve violence in one way or another. Nearly every call that an officer responds to, particularly at night, involves alcohol.
Thefts had the biggest increase in 2010, but there was no increase in burglaries, Kelley said. The department also receives about two reports of identity theft per week.
Kelley said the central downtown district has seen an improvement with "no real groups hanging out there."
"It's now a quieter area," he added.
Officers have been dealing with an increasing number of parent-child conflicts, not categorized as abuse. Gang involvement and prevention fall within these areas, the report states. The report recommends more responsibility needs to be placed with the parents in dealing with these concerns.
The Police Department has continued to receive proof that its D.A. R. E. program, which it has fully funded for the last five years, has been successful in reducing drug use by its students and in providing contacts and relationships between officers and youth.
"However, the passing of Monsignor Campion last fall will have an impact on the DARE. program," Kelley said Tuesday.
Campion donated many of his Campion Champions T-shirts to the program, which were used as part of the rewards to DARE graduates.