Feb 5 2017
City 2016 Crime Report Shows Increase in Crime
In 2016, the City of Piedmont experienced a 3.6% increase in crime as compared to 2015, from 224 UCR reportable crimes in 2015 to 232 in 2016. This represents the first annual increase in overall crime since 2012 and is attributed to the increase in robberies.Robberies and burglaries realized an increase from 2015 to 2016. The City has experienced 65 reported burglaries in comparison to 51 in 2015, an increase of 27%. Robberies also increased from the two incidents in 2015 to 17 in 2016. Three of the robberies were home invasion robberies where the suspects entered through unsecured entrances, encountered the residents and took items such as cash, jewelry and computers by means of force and fear.
Burglaries, motor vehicle thefts, and larceny theft (a UCR term for general theft) represented 85% of the City’s total reportable crimes (198 out of 232). These property related crimes have continually decreased over the last four years. From 2015 to 2016 there was a decrease of 3.4% (205 to 198); and since 2012, property crimes have decreased 40.5% from 333 reported in 2012 to 198 reported in 2016. Larceny thefts accounted for 55% of the total property crimes in 2016, with the vast majority of those being thefts of property from parked, unoccupied vehicles.
The headline should read: Piedmont Robberies Increased From 2 in 2015 To 17 in 2016. At Piedmont High School journalism class we were taught that you start with the most important elements first. In this case, facts relating to the number of times Piedmonters had expired folding maps, remember those, stolen out of unlocked cars, would be presented at the end of the article. Many people do not read past the first two lines and decreasing crime is going to take the prioritized efforts of every one.
What would help? I ran for City Council for the first time to focus on the Piedmont crime which had increased around 35% in one year and suggested 24/7 cameras and license plate readers to protect our families and the lives of our Piedmont Police whose lives are in jeopardy every moment of every work day. The cameras and license plate readers were quickly installed and the crime rate went down significantly to what it had been before the incredible spike. These two enhancements produced irrefutable measurable evidence of their efficacy. What more can be done? Our efforts to apprehend has been greatly improved but the ultimate goal is deterrence. To deter,the individuals with crime on their minds must know that by the time they have crossed our platinum curtain, they have already been photographed so they can self-modify modify their behaviour. Our cameras and the vigilance of our police and citizens has been documented in the news, but to be sure every person arriving in our city knows of our affection for hi-tech solutions, we need appropriate signage. In this case Knowledge is the Deterrent. Inexpensive signage will funnel the deterring brain worm of fear into the minds of some.
Example: Welcome to Piedmont, 24/7 camera community/License Plate Readers/ Facial Recognition …Drive Friendly Now! (Small tasteful drawing of a Shark in a kilt optional)
Sunny Bostrom-Fleming
Additional safety: 2no hand, high quality civilian-style armored cars for our brave Piedmont Police (we only need 5 cars and they can be purchased for $20,000 each. Google 2no hand armored cars) Pit Bull Ban as has been done in 900 other American cities and 40 nations, including England/Canada. Why? (Google Pitbulls attacks on Children)