Local law enforcement agencies are reporting that crime continues to increase in the local communities.
Colusa Police Department Lt. Sara Martin said the agency handled 5,000 calls for service in 2021, aup from 3,800 in 2020.
“That is a 24 percent increase from the year prior,” Martin said.
Martin said the department’s historically average call volume of about 250 to 290 calls for service has increased to about 400 calls per month, starting around May of 2020.
“We continued to maintain that call volume through 2021,” Martin added.
The highest activity for the Colusa Police Department was in May 2021, with 453 calls for service. In December, calls dropped to 381, although that number was still higher than previous years for the holiday month.
“While the holiday season typically brings many families and friends together, it unfortunately marks a time of year when law enforcement responds to a higher volume of domestic disturbances,” Martin said. “Charges associated with domestic violence account for more arrests than those of alcohol related arrests during the month of November.”
As of late January of 2022, Colusa police calls were on track to again hit 400 calls for service, and Martin believes a number of factors is contributing to the rising crime rates, including changes in the laws pertaining to bail and sentencing, along with the mental health challenges the community faces.
“While the increase continues, there aren’t any specific trends that can be attributed to the increase; it isn’t one particular type of crime on the rise,” Martin said.
Meanwhile, the Williams Police Department also tracked an increase in calls for service.
In 2021, the Williams PD logged 8,843 incidents, completed 589 investigations, made 342 arrests, and issued 416 citations.
“In 2020, the Williams Police Department logged 7,335 incidents, completed 557 investigations, made 291 arrests, of which 58 were felonies, and issued 236 citations,” said Lt. Chris Miller.
“2021 was a year that brought a lot of new challenges and changes to our agency,” Miller said. “Several of these changes were legislative mandates that we had to implement. Through research and planning, with the support of the City, we found innovative ways to meet each of the required changes.”
Miller said a significant change for Williams PD was the changeover from the traditional Uniform Crime Reporting to a much more complex National Incident-Based Reporting System/California Incident-Based Reporting System, the collection of Racial and Identity Profiling Act data, and finding ways for the department to do their jobs while dealing with a global pandemic.
Miller said while finding innovative ways to best serve the citizens of Williams, the department implemented body-worn cameras that all officers are required to wear when interacting with the public, which adds accountability and provides a layer of transparency.
The Williams Police Department also purchased a Bolawrap device, which is a “less lethal” device for officers to use to restrain a combative or hostile subject, with the lowest level of force, which could reduce the risk of injury to both the subject and the officer, Miller said.
Recently, the Williams Police Department was recognized by the Lexipol Connect program for achieving the Gold level of policy implementation and review for consistently and effectively disseminating policies to officers, issuing timely policy updates as laws change, and ensuring officers are trained on policies, officials said. Lexipol is the nation’s leading content, policy, and training platform for public safety agencies; the Connect program tracks the Williams Police Department’s performance on five metrics proven to measure success in policy management.
The department was awarded the Silver Award in 2020, prompting the department to strive for Gold in 2021, which was successful, said Williams Police Chief Jim Saso.
“The Williams Police Department’s excellence in policy and policy training enhances community safety by ensuring consistent, effective response, based on national best practices,” Saso said. “We’re excited WPD is delivering a standard of excellence through our policy efforts that reduces risk for our personnel and those we serve.”
The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office has not yet received a final report on 2021 statistics, generated by the Department of Justice, but officials said preliminary data shows 1,229 crime cases in 2021, up from 1,117 in 2020. The Sheriff’s Office made 126 arrests in 2021, up from 102 in 2020.
The Colusa County Sheriff’s Office is also working to strengthen safety and security through technology, officials said.
On Tuesday, Assistant Sheriff Michael Bradwell received authorization for the department to purchase a full-body scanner with a temperature sensor for use in their daily operations at the Colusa County Jail.
The full-body scanner, similar to those used at airports by the TSA, will detect high temperatures associated with COVID-19 infections, as well as locate possible weapons and contraband being carried on or inside the body, particularly Fentanyl, which is responsible for the uptick in opiate overdoses across the country.
County officials said that being able to detect hidden contraband before it enters the jail could help reduce the county’s risk of liability by averting a possible overdose claim.
The Tek84 Intercept full-body scanner costs about $170,000, installed. ■