 |
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
ARCHIVE |
|||||
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
|
|
|||||
- Pasco crime down 6 percent from '97 to '98
- PASCO (Thursday 1-28-99)---Pasco's major crime rate has dropped for the third year in a row, according to PD crime statistics released today.
- Capt. Doug Chambers said statistics include "Part I" crimes including nonviolent burglary, theft, auto theft, and arson, plus the violent crimes including homicides, rapes, robbery, and aggravated assault.
- In 1998, Part I crimes dropped by 6% from 1997, capping a 10-year reduction of 50%.
- "Each year, chances of a Pasco resident being a crime victim declines," Chambers said.
- The number of Part I crimes dropped from a 1988 rate of 158 crimes per 1000 residents to 61 in 1998.
- "This year's number closely mirrors the Washington State average now at 59 crimes per 1,000 residents," Chambers said.
- He said gang activity has also continued to decline in Pasco, with a 26% decrease in gang incidents from 1997, coupled with a 63% reduction in graffiti.
- "Our goal is to have the lowest crime rate in the Tri-Cities," said Pasco Police Chief Dennis Austin.
- Austin said the commitment to reducing crime has had a significant impact.
- "Last year, for the first time in recent memory, Pasco didn't have the highest crime rate in the Tri-Cities. With the crime rate down we're no longer eligible for state funding as a high-crime community," Austin said.
- Raw numbers indicate Pasco want from 2 homicides in 1997 to 2 in 1998; from 19 to 17 rapes; 28 to 27 robberies, and 93 to 92 aggravated assaults.
- Burglaries went from 289 in 1997 to 270 in 1998, with 1113 thefts down to 1079; 169 auto thefts to 121; but with 6 arsons to 8.
- All major crimes went from 1,719 to 1,116, for a drop of 6%, figures show.
Armed robber hits Videoland
- RICHLAND-- (Saturday 1-23-99)---A young white male wasn't after movies when he arrived at Videoland, 105 Gage Blvd. a little after 11 p.m. today.
- Clerk Sarah Schmoker, 17, a Videoland employee, said the thug threatened her with an unknown weapon and demanded money. He grabbed store cash and fled, running west, Police said.
- Police said the robber was age 14 to 23, weighing between 140 and 160 pounds wearing a black hooded sweat shirt with hood up and black face mask, black pants, and blue shirt.
- Another store employee chased the suspect but lost him a short distance away. No one was injured, according to reports.
Police arrest arson suspect
- PASCO (Friday 1-15-99)---Pasco police have arrested a local man and charged him with burning up the secretly located office of the Pasco Metro Drug Task Force two days ago.
- Arrested at 5:30 p.m. today was Richard Lee Conn, 30, of 1617 E. Lewis St. Police said talks with many persons and several leads provided evidence enough to get an arrest warrant.
- Conn was arrested at his home without incident, said Capt. Doug Chambers. He said the investigation continues, with more arrests expected soon.
Police suspect arson in fire at secret office of Metro Drug Task Force
- PASCO (Wednesday 1-13-99)---Police believe arsonists set fire to the unoccupied office building of the Tri-Cities Metro Drug Task Force early today.
- PD staff said the Task Force's building location is a "secret" so they wouldn't release the address to reporters (The idea apparently is that they don't want bad guys to come by and burn it).
- An intrusion alarm reportedly went off at 1 p.m., followed shortly by the fire alarm at the office.
- Fire fighters quickly extinguished the blaze, but the building received extensive interior damages, police said. No cost estimates were immediately available. Records reportedly were damaged but not destroyed.
- Police said they are following up on "some strong leads". They say the incident won't shut down Task Force operations.
- The department and Task Force command staff are assessing the damage and are identifying new and secret digs for Task Force officers, police said.