NORWICH – The Norwich Police Department released its annual report March 13. The report marks in detail the activities of the department, including arrests, complaints and notes any events that require special police attention.
The report mentions a few of the more infamous local crimes, including the string of burglaries committed by Kevin Begeal and the conviction of one of the department’s own, Randy Palmer, for stealing thousands from the department. Both cases generated a very high amount of police paper work and were highly public, said Police Chief Joseph Angelino.
“Although calls for service were down slightly from 2005, the number of arrests our officers made increased significantly,” said Angelino. The department received 19,068 calls in 2006, down 4,472 from 2005. The department also received fewer criminal complaints, 2,370, down 106 from 2005. Despite the drops, the department saw a substantial rise in the number of criminal arrests.
“Arrest totals went from 590 in 2005 to 863 in 2006. It’s important to note that in some cases, a single arrest may keep the patrol tied up for many hours or an entire shift,” said Angelino.
The chief attributed another reason arrests increased without a corresponding rise in complaints to the specialized training officers received that helps them to identify suspicious signs during routine stops, such as hidden drug activity.
The report also included extensive detail on the types of crimes committed, the number committed and also compares them to 2005’s report. The report also contains all motor vehicle accidents the police responded to and what the cause of each were. There were 208 accidents in 2006; there were 207 in 2005.
The report also lists the entire roster for the PD, and it includes 18 officers not including the newest officer, who was sworn in on March 13; however, one of the department’s senior officers is eligible for retirement later in the year.