Crime down in several categories

Statistics released this week for Nevada crimes offer perspective on what areas are improving and what areas need improvement. Some of the categories in the report also give specific information about Carson City.

Of the estimated $836,159 in property lost to theft in Carson City in 1999, law enforcement efforts were able to recover $146,351 - or 17.5 percent - of the losses.

Domestic violence in Carson City were down 6.25 percent from 9.6 cases per 1,000 residents in 1998 to 9 cases in 1999. The state average is 8.8 cases per 1,000 people. Carson City reported incidents totaled 496 in 1998, falling to 472 in 1999. Women and girls comprised 59 percent of the total victims.

Statewide, reports of violent crime dropped dramatically from 11,248 in 1998 to 10,311 last year, representing a 12.2 percent decline. Murders, included in the violent crimes category, dropped 5.2 percent from 174 to 165 statewide.

Overall crime was down 8.7 percent over the one-year period.

Burglaries are one of the most commonly reported - and one of the most expensive - crimes in Nevada.

Statewide there were 17,613 burglaries resulting in property losses of $30,623,484. Burglaries represented 20.8 percent of all reported index offenses.

Of all major (index) crimes, law enforcement agencies solved 24.5 percent of those reported. New policing strategies and officers contributed to a 8.7 percent increase in the number of cases solved. This compares to a national rate of 21.3 percent in 1998, the last available period for national statistics.

Department of Public Safety Director Bernie Curtis attributes the improved performance by law enforcement agencies to better communication with residents.

"Community oriented policing on some level is doing what it is supposed to do," he said. "Even as the population grows we are trying to keep up."

Curtis also attributes the statistical improvements to the booming economy, saying, "In high unemployment crime is up.

"When things are good it's cyclical; crime goes down."

The total number of people arrested, cited or summoned in the state was 140,808 out of an estimated total population of 1,967,650. For its population, Nevada showed a similar rate to other Western states.

Drunken driving arrests totaled 11,777 statewide, according to Nevada Highway Patrol, county and city law enforcement reports.

Broken up by age, the bulk of arrests occurred between 25 and 39, garnering 38.7 percent of the total.