Lower Police See 38 Percent Increase in Calls Over Three Years

ERMA — Lower Township Police Chief Edward Donohue released the department’s Yearly Activities Report for 2008 Thursday Jan. 15 reporting an increase of over 31 percent in calls for service over 2007 with 39,791 calls for service handled in 2008 compared with 30,211 calls in 2007 and 28,027 calls in 2006.
During 2008, Lower Township police officers investigated 443 domestic violence complaints of which 71 involved assaults.
Other criminal complaints handled: five rapes, 22 reported sexual offenses, six robberies, 29 aggravated assault with three assaults with firearms, eight with knife or cutting instrument, eight with other dangerous weapon, 10 with strong arm (hands, fists, feet, etc.)
Lower police answered calls for 185 simple assaults, 143 burglaries, 443 thefts, 13 stolen motor vehicles, eight arsons, and 12 aggravated assaults on police officers.
Lower Township Officers responded to and investigated 460 motor vehicle accidents while conducting a total of 7,810 motor vehicle stops which resulted in 2,461 traffic summonses being issued along with 1,202 traffic warnings issued.
Officers also issued 100 local ordinance complaints along with 61 warnings for local ordinance violations.
Total arrests made for the year include 870 adult arrests with 142 juveniles arrested. In addition, Lower Township Police Officers arrested a total of 115 drivers for operating a Motor Vehicle While Intoxicated.
“My officers are doing their best to respond to this significant increase in calls for service, said Donohue. “Our adult arrests, juvenile arrests, DWI arrests, and drug arrests have all increased along with motor vehicle stops and property checks for homeowners.
“However, I am concerned if officers are not replaced through attrition that the level of service will surely suffer,” he continued.
Officers assisted the Lower Township Rescue Squad with over 1,609 emergency medical calls and responded to 502 fire alarm call outs with the township’s three fire departments.
Patrol officers responded to 615 commercial and residential alarms, 838 disorderly conduct complaints, 520 criminal mischief complaints and along with animal control officers, 1,042 animal complaints.
The department conducted a total of 40 sudden death investigations in 2008, six of which were ruled suicides. Three were determined to be drug overdoses. The remaining 31 deaths were ruled non-suspicious in nature.
The department’s Detective Division and Safe Neighborhoods Unit conducted numerous drug/narcotic investigations in 2008, which resulted in the arrest of 77 subjects for narcotics violations. In addition the department seized and/or confiscated:
• 465 Packets of Heroin
• 48 Packets of Hard Rock Crack/Cocaine
• 14 Packets of powdered Cocaine
• 339 Packets of Marijuana
• Seven Marijuana Plants
• 841 Illegal Narcotic Pills
• 74 Pieces of drug paraphernalia including pipes, bongs, hypodermic needles.
Officers completed 1,418 investigation reports and conducted 12,786 residential and commercial property checks throughout the township during the reporting period.
Donohue noted an increase in the following areas: domestic violence complaints up 10 percent, burglaries up 39 percent, thefts up 6 percent, aggravated assaults on police officers up from five in 2006 to nine in 2007 to 12 in 2008, confirmed arsons, up from 1 in 2007 to 8 in 2008, adult arrests up from 796 in 2007 to 870 in 2008, juvenile arrests up from 126 in 2007 to 142 in 2008.
DWI arrests were up from 91 intoxicated drivers in 2007 to 115 in 2008.