Decrease in Carson City crime rate

With only a few months left of 2017, the year is shaping up to see a decrease in the crime rate in Carson City.

As of September, the crime rate for the year is 8 percent lower than this time last year, said Sheriff Ken Furlong.

“We are having a very good year as a solid community and we want to see that continue,” Furlong said.

There have been 746 incidents in 2017 so far, as compared to 815 incidents as of September 2016 and 861 as of September 2015.

“I can’t help but give credit to our staff and community because people have not been hesitating to call us when they see something suspicious is observed,” Furlong said. “That is the number one way to mitigate crime.”

Major crimes such as robbery, rape, burglary and homicide have decreased 28 percent this year, which Furlong credits to heavy narcotics enforcement.

“The continued thrust on addictive drugs is why major crime is down,” Furlong said. “The decline of major offenses means we are on the right track and we will push even harder in the final three months to continue to safeguard our neighborhoods, businesses and communities against criminal elements.”

There has only been one homicide this year, robbery is down 14 percent, residential burglaries are down 30 percent, commercial burglaries are down 29 percent and narcotics offenses are down 23 percent.

“So I am very happy,” Furlong said.

He said one the best areas of improvement this year has been the stolen property and recovery statistics. Total dollar loss has decreased 10 percent since 2016 and recovered property is up 30 percent from this same time last year.

“That is extraordinary,” Furlong said. “The improvement is credited to detectives and investigators but also to the cooperation of the community. People are more rapid to respond and provide information about people committing crimes.”

While most numbers have decreased this year, thefts and aggravated assaults have increased so far.

“These crimes are what we have been hit with the hardest,” Furlong said. “They made up half of all crime.”

Aggravated assault is up 32 percent from last year and vehicle thefts are up 40 percent.

“As we head into October, November and December, they are areas we will be paying attention to,” Furlong said.

However, as successful as this year has been, the final months of 2017 are always the most challenging for the department and community.

“The end of the year provides particular challenges which we anticipate,” Furlong said. “Because of the holidays the end of the year crime rate is likely to pick up.”

One crime that’s often seen in the winter months is an increase in auto thefts because people warm their vehicles in the driveway or street.

“We get many cars reported stolen each year after owners start the car to warm and leave the keys in it,” Furlong said.

“We discourage the practice.”

And with the colder weather, accidents also come on the rise as ice and snow start to invade the roadways.

“I know no one wants to hear me say it again, but slow down,” Furlong said. “Especially the people on I-580 because under the overpass will freeze very fast and it is the time to give yourself more time to get where you are going… I hope everyone will help out by slowing down.”

Furlong said the challenge for the rest of the year will be maintaining the numbers.

The goal will be to not see those numbers drastically increase.

“Overall I am excited to go into these last three months, each year, we strive to see Carson City get better, safer and more pleasant to live in and each year the men and women seem to produce and it is a good feeling,” Furlong said.