Carroll County Sheriff’s Department: Commissioner Presentation based on flawed statistics
“Commissioner Presentation based on flawed statistics”
Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, August 13, 2008 ----
Sheriff Ken Tregoning and members of the Sheriff’s Office are concerned that inaccuracies cited by Commissioner Julia W. Gouge during an open session on August 7, presented a false perception to the public about the resolution of criminal investigations. A copy of the presentation, which includes the questionable statistics, is currently available on the county webpage at: http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/ccpd/docs/UCR.pdf
The information, which attempts to show a correlation between the costs of investigating certain crimes among several law enforcement agencies by dividing their operating budgets by crime, ignores the commissioner’s decision to continue transferring all 911police calls to the Maryland State Police. The practice of transferring police calls away from the 911 center where sheriff’s deputies are dispatched significantly reduces the total crimes going to the sheriff’s office. Consequently, the numbers presented by Commissioner Gouge were intended to create the false impression that certain crimes investigated by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office are more costly.
Further, the total numbers of law enforcement officers in each comparison are misrepresented; for example the Resident Trooper Contract funds 45 Troopers, not the number listed. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office budget figures include costs for 14 non-police employees. These oversights were designed to distort the cost of personnel funded under the Sheriff’s Services Operating Budget and the contract for State Police Services.
The study cites only the “Part 1 Crimes”; however, there are 99 incidents police respond to and investigate listed in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. On the contrary, during the same years cited by Commissioner Gouge, 2005 and 2006, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office led Carroll Law Enforcement in the total number of arrests. In fact, during 2006 sheriff’s deputies made 1388 arrests, and according to the Maryland State Police’s Crime in Maryland Report, achieved the highest local “Part 1 Crimes” closure rate at 41%.
According to the International City/County Management Association, interrupting crimes in progress and pursuing fleeing suspects’ accounts for less than twenty percent of law enforcement activity. Historically, most police calls are not criminal incidents but incidents that include landlord/tenant disputes, prowlers, noise complaints, graffiti, disturbances, missing persons, littering, juvenile complaints, nuisance calls, etc. Consequently, the public should have information about total police activities and not just “Part 1 Crimes.”
Therefore, policing in Carroll County and nationally, involves keeping the peace more than enforcing the law. The confusion caused by this information is regrettable and was a disservice to the public and the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office and its employees remain “committed to excellence in delivering comprehensive police services focused on preventing and reducing crime, fear and disorder.” Similar to the sheriff’s offices in 98% of counties nationwide, we are your “County Police Agency”.
“Commissioner Presentation based on flawed statistics”
Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, August 13, 2008 ----
Sheriff Ken Tregoning and members of the Sheriff’s Office are concerned that inaccuracies cited by Commissioner Julia W. Gouge during an open session on August 7, presented a false perception to the public about the resolution of criminal investigations. A copy of the presentation, which includes the questionable statistics, is currently available on the county webpage at: http://ccgovernment.carr.org/ccg/ccpd/docs/UCR.pdf
The information, which attempts to show a correlation between the costs of investigating certain crimes among several law enforcement agencies by dividing their operating budgets by crime, ignores the commissioner’s decision to continue transferring all 911police calls to the Maryland State Police. The practice of transferring police calls away from the 911 center where sheriff’s deputies are dispatched significantly reduces the total crimes going to the sheriff’s office. Consequently, the numbers presented by Commissioner Gouge were intended to create the false impression that certain crimes investigated by the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office are more costly.
Further, the total numbers of law enforcement officers in each comparison are misrepresented; for example the Resident Trooper Contract funds 45 Troopers, not the number listed. Additionally, the Sheriff’s Office budget figures include costs for 14 non-police employees. These oversights were designed to distort the cost of personnel funded under the Sheriff’s Services Operating Budget and the contract for State Police Services.
The study cites only the “Part 1 Crimes”; however, there are 99 incidents police respond to and investigate listed in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program. On the contrary, during the same years cited by Commissioner Gouge, 2005 and 2006, the Carroll County Sheriff’s Office led Carroll Law Enforcement in the total number of arrests. In fact, during 2006 sheriff’s deputies made 1388 arrests, and according to the Maryland State Police’s Crime in Maryland Report, achieved the highest local “Part 1 Crimes” closure rate at 41%.
According to the International City/County Management Association, interrupting crimes in progress and pursuing fleeing suspects’ accounts for less than twenty percent of law enforcement activity. Historically, most police calls are not criminal incidents but incidents that include landlord/tenant disputes, prowlers, noise complaints, graffiti, disturbances, missing persons, littering, juvenile complaints, nuisance calls, etc. Consequently, the public should have information about total police activities and not just “Part 1 Crimes.”
Therefore, policing in Carroll County and nationally, involves keeping the peace more than enforcing the law. The confusion caused by this information is regrettable and was a disservice to the public and the Sheriff’s Office. The Sheriff’s Office and its employees remain “committed to excellence in delivering comprehensive police services focused on preventing and reducing crime, fear and disorder.” Similar to the sheriff’s offices in 98% of counties nationwide, we are your “County Police Agency”.
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