My View: Changes in Sheriff's Office have reduced crime

Saturday
Jan 6, 2018 at 10:00 AM

By Gary Caruana

Before I became sheriff, I worked as a Winnebago County sheriff’s deputy for eight years before going to work in corporate security where I spent 26 years conducting criminal investigations, interviewing witnesses, participating in the criminal justice system and becoming a certified fraud examiner.

I have earned a bachelor’s degree in management and leadership and a master’s degree in business management. I became sheriff with the promise that I would apply the knowledge I learned from this background to bring change to the Sheriff’s Office. My goal is to continue to make our department more proactive in fighting serious crime and to make this region safer. My opponent’s spokesman recently wrote an article that was negligently or intentionally misleading. Contrary to his claims, the changes that I have made have been successful.

Police agencies in the country must report crime statistics to the FBI under the Uniform Crime Reporting System (“UCR”). Crimes are categorized as either Part 1 (serious crimes) or Part 2 (less serious) crimes. By comparing the annual averages of my three years in office against my opponent’s last three years you will find we:

• Reduced Part I crimes committed in Winnebago County in 3 out of 8 categories including murder, burglary and burglaries to vehicles, and in Machesney Park in 4 out of 8 categories;

• Reduced Part 2 crimes committed in Winnebago County in 6 out of 13 categories and 9 out of 13 categories in Machesney Park;

• Reduced the total number of Part 1 crimes committed in Winnebago County;

• Increased arrests in 6 out of 8 Part 1 categories and increased the total annual average of arrests for Part 1 crimes in Winnebago County and Machesney Park; and

• Increased the total number of arrests for Part II crimes in Winnebago County.

More recently, during the past year we have reduced Part 1 crimes by 13 percent and Part 2 crimes by 8 percent in Winnebago County. In addition, for the same time period we have reduced Part 1 crimes by 8 percent and Part 2 crimes by 6 percent in Machesney Park.

In 2017, the Sheriff’s Office made the largest number of arrests for Part 1 and 2 crimes since 2011.

In comparing totals for the Part 2 crimes of sex offenses (i.e. prostitution), deadly weapons, cannabis, and narcotics violations, you will notice a sharp increase in the reporting of these crimes during my tenure in office. This does NOT mean more of these crimes were actually committed. To the contrary, it means that more of these crimes were discovered and resolved by arrest.

This is because these types of crimes are not typically reported by citizens. They are committed in a stealthy manner and only discovered by proactive police work such as undercover investigations, human trafficking stings, traffic stops involving car searches and search warrants for the homes of offenders. The bottom line is that we have reduced crime in the most important categories by being more proactive and making more arrests than my opponent’s administration.

Next, the opposition discussed the number of traffic fatalities in Winnebago County in 2016. To be clear, even one fatality is too many. But the number of fatalities is not the result of lack of enforcement on our part. In unincorporated Winnebago County we increased the number of traffic stops in 2017 by 92 percent and DUI arrests by 165 percent.

During these stops we often exercise discretion and decline to write citations where it is proper to do so. In 2017 we reduced the number of fatalities investigated by our department to a total of seven. The entire state suffered an eight-year high in traffic fatalities in 2016. Experts attribute this spike to higher speed limits (70 mph speed limit became effective in 2014), an increase in younger drivers, and an increased amount of driving time.

I am proud of the work that our department has accomplished during the past three years. We have been aggressive, ethical, and proactive. And, we have had an impact on making this region a safer place to live. However, we still have a lot of work to do and plan on building on these results in the future. Next week, I will discuss our budget crisis with you.

Gary Caruana is Winnebago County sheriff.

Saturday
Jan 6, 2018 at 10:00 AM

By Gary Caruana

Before I became sheriff, I worked as a Winnebago County sheriff’s deputy for eight years before going to work in corporate security where I spent 26 years conducting criminal investigations, interviewing witnesses, participating in the criminal justice system and becoming a certified fraud examiner.

I have earned a bachelor’s degree in management and leadership and a master’s degree in business management. I became sheriff with the promise that I would apply the knowledge I learned from this background to bring change to the Sheriff’s Office. My goal is to continue to make our department more proactive in fighting serious crime and to make this region safer. My opponent’s spokesman recently wrote an article that was negligently or intentionally misleading. Contrary to his claims, the changes that I have made have been successful.

Police agencies in the country must report crime statistics to the FBI under the Uniform Crime Reporting System (“UCR”). Crimes are categorized as either Part 1 (serious crimes) or Part 2 (less serious) crimes. By comparing the annual averages of my three years in office against my opponent’s last three years you will find we:

• Reduced Part I crimes committed in Winnebago County in 3 out of 8 categories including murder, burglary and burglaries to vehicles, and in Machesney Park in 4 out of 8 categories;

• Reduced Part 2 crimes committed in Winnebago County in 6 out of 13 categories and 9 out of 13 categories in Machesney Park;

• Reduced the total number of Part 1 crimes committed in Winnebago County;

• Increased arrests in 6 out of 8 Part 1 categories and increased the total annual average of arrests for Part 1 crimes in Winnebago County and Machesney Park; and

• Increased the total number of arrests for Part II crimes in Winnebago County.

More recently, during the past year we have reduced Part 1 crimes by 13 percent and Part 2 crimes by 8 percent in Winnebago County. In addition, for the same time period we have reduced Part 1 crimes by 8 percent and Part 2 crimes by 6 percent in Machesney Park.

In 2017, the Sheriff’s Office made the largest number of arrests for Part 1 and 2 crimes since 2011.

In comparing totals for the Part 2 crimes of sex offenses (i.e. prostitution), deadly weapons, cannabis, and narcotics violations, you will notice a sharp increase in the reporting of these crimes during my tenure in office. This does NOT mean more of these crimes were actually committed. To the contrary, it means that more of these crimes were discovered and resolved by arrest.

This is because these types of crimes are not typically reported by citizens. They are committed in a stealthy manner and only discovered by proactive police work such as undercover investigations, human trafficking stings, traffic stops involving car searches and search warrants for the homes of offenders. The bottom line is that we have reduced crime in the most important categories by being more proactive and making more arrests than my opponent’s administration.

Next, the opposition discussed the number of traffic fatalities in Winnebago County in 2016. To be clear, even one fatality is too many. But the number of fatalities is not the result of lack of enforcement on our part. In unincorporated Winnebago County we increased the number of traffic stops in 2017 by 92 percent and DUI arrests by 165 percent.

During these stops we often exercise discretion and decline to write citations where it is proper to do so. In 2017 we reduced the number of fatalities investigated by our department to a total of seven. The entire state suffered an eight-year high in traffic fatalities in 2016. Experts attribute this spike to higher speed limits (70 mph speed limit became effective in 2014), an increase in younger drivers, and an increased amount of driving time.

I am proud of the work that our department has accomplished during the past three years. We have been aggressive, ethical, and proactive. And, we have had an impact on making this region a safer place to live. However, we still have a lot of work to do and plan on building on these results in the future. Next week, I will discuss our budget crisis with you.

Gary Caruana is Winnebago County sheriff.

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