Fremont crime stats show drop
By Joey Pitchford
Published in News on July 19, 2017 5:50 AM
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Police Chief Paul Moats
Crime in Fremont has dropped substantially since 2011, with numbers of reported crimes under in 2016 under half of what they were in 2011, according to a report from Fremont Police Chief Paul Moats.
Moats gave the report at the Fremont Board of Aldermen's monthly meeting Tuesday.
In the report, Moats laid out statistics for several types of crimes, including anything from shootings and stabbings to minor property damage.
In 2011, the year that Moats took over the department, Fremont experienced 73 larcenies and 42 breaking and enterings, according to the report. In 2016, those numbers were down to 11 and five, respectively.
Violent crimes, such as shootings, dropped from 11 in 2011 to one in 2016.
Drug offenses and property crimes stayed relatively consistent. Fremont experienced 20 drug offenses and 26 property crimes - which Moats described as damage to property - in 2011.
In 2016, those numbers were 19 and 26 respectively, according to the report.
Moats said that the previous law enforcement in the town had not been a part of the community, failing to make inroads with residents and adopting a "reactive" stance by simply dealing with crime as it happened.
Since he took charge, Moats said, the police department has done a better job of being visible in the community, meeting residents and earning their trust.
"We aren't out there writing a bunch of tickets," he said. "We try to give people the benefit of the doubt, without stereotyping or anything like that."
Public trust has allowed the department to be proactive in preventing crime before it happens, Moats said, as residents will contact police to report suspicious activity.
Overall, the total number of reports filed by Fremont Police in 2011 reached 699. By 2016, that number had fallen to 276.
Thus far in 2017, the department has filed 150 reports, according to Moats.
"We're on track for another good year," he said.
Alderwoman Joyce Artis said that when her husband first brought her to Fremont, she did not want to move there.
"When we first got here, every night you would hear something, 'pop pop pop,'" she said.
"But now, you rarely rarely rarely ever hear gunfire at all, and I am thankful for that."
Moats said that the diligent work of his officers makes the difference.
"If you see one of my officers around town, go up and tell them what you just said," Moats told Mrs. Artis. "They're the core of what makes this happen."