Palmer crime stats down

April 11, 2006

By MARY AMES

Frontiersman reporter

PALMER - Looking over the crime statistics from the Palmer Police Department, Chief Russ Boatright and Lt. Tom Remaley credit their officers with keeping Palmer's crime numbers from growing parallel with the population in the Valley.

Much like the number of crimes reported at the Wasilla Police Department, Palmer's numbers were up in 2001, but mostly have dropped since then.

&#8220There could be a number of factors,” Boatright said. &#8220For the first time in a long time, we had a full contingent of officers.”

Boatright credited the greater number of officers to the reduced number of assaults - 43 for 2005, down from 96 the year before - and down further from the triple digits in 2001, 2002 and 2003.

&#8220Overall, the numbers reflect a greater degree of effectiveness,” Boatright said. &#8220The population is going up, but our crime numbers are coming down, even with people coming in from out of town.”

Federal grants for extra DUI patrols gave Palmer more officers on the road looking for violations. And while arrests for driving while intoxicated were down to 187 in 2005, compared to 239 in 2004, cases of reckless and negligent driving increased from 124 in 2004 to 158 last year. Boatright credits people getting the message about not drinking and driving for the reduction, and more officers on the road for the increase.

&#8220The more eyes on the road for more hours, the more you are going to see,” Boatright said.

Boatright said he has received complaints from bar owners, however, who believe the Palmer cops are targeting their patrons, saying people are afraid to drink as much, and it cuts into their profits.

&#8220I mind if they get behind the wheel,” Boatright said. &#8220The whole point isn't to take people to jail. It's to keep them from going there.”

Larceny, including shoplifting, was down from 188 reports in 2004 to 154 in 2005, but forgery increased from two to 20. Remaley said those numbers reflect an increase in Internet use, with people stealing credit card numbers and other personal information.

Burglaries may be rampant in the outlying areas, but Palmer reported only 15 last year, a drop from 21 the year before.

Again, Remaley credits a highly visible and proactive police force.

&#8220These guys generate a lot of activity trying to avoid Palmer, because they know they're going to get caught doing something because of the numerous traffic stops,” he said.

For all the growth in the Valley, Palmer remains a small community where officers encounter the same people, he said. The Palmer cops spend time talking to each other and sharing information, also, he said.

&#8220You can't put a finger on how much something is a deterrence,” Remaley said. &#8220But look at our press releases. Our guys are constantly on patrol, they're doing a good job for the business owners and the community.”

Violations of domestic violence restraining orders hit a high of 32 in 2001, but dropped to 14 in 2002, the same number as 2005, which is up by three from 2004; and interfering with a report of domestic violence was down from 12 in 2004 to five in 2005.

Boatright said that again could reflect staffing numbers, or the success of treatment programs.

&#8220When folks know we are around, they exercise better judgment,” he said.

While there may be fewer reported crimes in most categories, handling the crimes takes more time, especially when police officers have to spend days in court testifying before a grand jury or at a trial, Remaley said. The time an officer spends on a case includes the time spent in court.

Although the statistics list one kidnapping in 2005, neither Boatright or Remaley could recall who, what when or where it happened. There were five reports of rape or sexual assault, down from nine in 2004, but more than the one reported in 2003 and zero reported from 2000 through 2002. Remaley said the five reports also could include sexual abuse of a minor, and he didn't recall any specific sexual assault cases last year.

Pot busts were up in Palmer, with 84 reports compared to 69 the year before; and reports of dangerous drugs were up also, from 39 in 2004 to 66 in 2005. But reports of controlled substances at schools dropped from eight in 2004 to five last year.

Overall the numbers didn't show a huge variation in any category of crime, something Boatright said he liked to see.

Contact Mary Ames at

352-2284 or mary.ames@

frontiersman.com.