Fort Scott sees drop in most crime throughout 2008

By Rayma Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

During the year 2008, the Fort Scott Police Department saw a nearly 21-percent drop in overall crime incidents including traffic infractions for the local area.

According to statistics provided by FSPD, there were nearly 2,000 less incidents of crime in the local area than there were in 2007.

Although there were less incidents of crime and traffic-related offenses, local law enforcement officers made 711 adult arrests in 2008, which is one more arrest than they made in 2007. In 2007, the total number of adults who were arrested jumped from 552 in 2006 to 710. The number of juveniles who were arrested in 2008 dropped from 112 in 2007 to 71.

Even in regards to crimes involving physical force, the number of incidents police were asked to respond to decreased from 2007's 233 to only 201 incidents in 2008.

There have not been any murders in Fort Scott since 2004 when Paul Hunt killed his mother, Mary "Sue" Taylor. A jury in 2006 convicted Hunt of first-degree murder, and Hunt is serving a prison term of 25 years to life.

Of the crimes which involved physical force, domestic battery had the highest rate of occurrence with 92 incidents reported. The majority of domestic violence incidents in 2008 occurred during the month of May.

In fact, the month of May in 2008 was a busy time for local law enforcement officers as nearly 20 percent of the year's incidents occurred that month. In 2007, 16 percent of the year's crime occurred in the month of May. When asked why the month has had a higher rate of incidents than times in the year for the last two years, FSPD LT. Travis Shelton said typically when the weather warms up, crime incidents increase nationwide.

Traffic related occurrences made up about 60 percent of the year's law enforcement incidents. Officers handed out 1,618 traffic citations in 2008, which is 518 less than were given to motorists in 2007.

According to the statistics, drug and alcohol related offenses also decreased in 2008 from the previous two years. In 2006, there were 454 drug and alcohol related incidents. That number rose to 504 occurrences in 2007, but subsequently decreased to 313 offenses in 2008. The most used illegal drugs in the local area during 2008 were Pseudophedrine and Marijuana, both of which were responsible for 41 drug-related incidents each.

Although Shelton said he does not have anything solid to attribute the decrease in crime, he said local law enforcement officers have been working diligently to stop crime before it starts.

"We get out and patrol," Shelton said. "We want our guys to be proactive instead of reactive."