Annual police report, Celina Record

Annual police report shows crime in Celina mostly on the decline Lisa Ferguson, lferguson@starlocalmedia.com Feb 12, 2016 Celina’s population and business landscape are growing, but its crime numbers are shrinking. That’s according toe the Celina Police Department’s 2015 annual report, which it released to the public Wednesday. The 22-page document, which was presented to the City Council at Tuesday’s meeting, brims with local crime-related data and information about how the department is working to maintain safety in the growing community. The report can be viewed on the police department’s page on the city’s website, celina-tx.gov. “I think in 2015 the department made some really significant advances and achievements,” Assistant Chief Tony Griggs said. “A lot of the framework that we want to put in place for the future [was] put in place.” Some of the work began even earlier, including a pair of public safety initiatives that the department started in 2014. One of the initiatives focuses on domestic violence prevention. “It’s not something that everybody thinks about every day or hears, but we see the calls all the time that do occur throughout the city,” Griggs said. Last year, Celina experienced a nearly 18 percent decrease in the number of domestic violence offenses that occurred per 1,000 residents, according to the report. Griggs credits that reduction in part to the department’s implementation of the National Lethality Assessment Program – Maryland Model (called LAP for short). The evidence-based screening method helps officers responding to calls determine whether a person is at risk of becoming a domestic violence-related homicide victim. The Celina Police Department also initiated and serves as the coordinator for a special team that includes seven other Collin County law enforcement agencies, the district attorney’s office and a pair of domestic-violence service providers, which received training for and have implemented the LAP program in their jurisdictions. The department’s other initiative aims to prevent underage drinking. “Things like underage drinking exist really in all communities, and you’ve got to focus on that or it’ll just go unnoticed,” Griggs explained. “These types of incidents will come up and unfortunately a lot of times you’ll see the consequences of underage drinking and driving … on the news when bad things happen, so any prevention we can do is going to be very helpful.” The initiative appears to be successful, despite that the city saw an increase last year in the number of alcohol offenses involving minors. Griggs said the slightly higher number (39 in 2015 versus 33 the previous year) is reflective of officers’ detection and enforcement efforts. “The increased awareness and enforcement of our officers is going to make that contact come up more because they are watching for that, but it will help maybe get those minors on the right track. That’s a good thing,” he said. Between 2010 and 2015, DWI detection and enforcement by the department increased more than 380 percent; and DWI arrests were up more than 15 percent between 2014 and 2015. “The DWIs being arrested is, of course, improving the safety of the community because they’re not out there endangering the community,” Griggs said. Meanwhile, narcotic violation detection and enforcement has risen more than 141 percent since 2010. The department received more than 18,000 calls for service last year. Its 10 patrol officers were largely responsible for arresting 276 adults and 23 minors. Despite the city’s growth, in the last six years Celina has seen a 5.18 percent decrease in major crimes. Part 1 crimes – including rapes, robberies, assaults, burglaries and motor-vehicle thefts – are down nearly 44 percent per 1,000 people compared to in 2010. Part 2 crimes (DWI, vandalism and possession of illegal weapons among them) have experienced a 6.5 percent decrease since 2012, when the city experienced a spike in such activities. The department, which boasts a pair of sergeants and a detective, boosted its training hours by 46 percent last year over 2014. Plans call for the addition of four officers in 2017. “One of our greatest challenges is to make sure that we adequately plan” for the city’s growth, Griggs said, “and put things in place that will give us the operational capacity … that we need, and also to maintain the culture in the police department that we want that keeps the community engaged, and that way we can sustain the growth and safety of the community at the same time.” Last fall, the department created a Special Investigations Unit whose members received specialized training so they can assist the Criminal Investigation Division during major criminal incidents. Although the group – which consists of a lieutenant, a sergeant and five patrol officers – has not yet been called into service, Griggs said it will be prepared when that day arrives. “We wanted to have them in place so they’re ready to go … so that we’re able to effectively respond and handle any types of crimes that occur,” he said. Looking forward to this year and beyond, Griggs said the department will “continue implementing different programs … that will continuously increase the ability of our officers.” Community policing efforts will remain an important part of the department’s operations. Plans include working with local clergy to help educate the public about law enforcement. Celina Mayor Sean Terry said, “I think our police have done a tremendous job” with the domestic violence initiative and through community policing practices, which “we all as council want to see continue.” Also in the works for the department is a citizen volunteer group that will be trained to assist officers at events and gatherings around the city. “We want to continuously find ways to engage the community, to encourage the community to contact us, see how they can get involved with us,” Griggs said. “That’s going to make a huge difference as Celina grows.”