Annual report reveals City PD crime, overtime stats
NORWICH – On Tuesday night, the Norwich Police Department distributed copies of its annual report for 2007 to the members of the Common Council. The report, a 26-page document with statistics on the number of arrests, complaints and accidents in the city, gives a detailed breakdown of the department’s activity.
Among other figures in the report, statistics showed that the most criminal complaints, 280, were received in July; the most criminal arrests, 79, were made in March; and May was the most dangerous month for driving in the city of Norwich. In May, 25 accidents were logged, seven of which involved personal injury.
On average, Police Chief Joseph Angelino said most of the numbers had remained the same or decreased slightly from 2006. “I don’t believe this is a community-wide trend. I do feel activity of the police officers in 2007 was slightly decreased by having at times up to four police officers missing from duty,” Angelino explained in the report. Two of the department’s 19 officers were attending cadet school, a daily training regiment that lasts for seven months. Two officers were out for portions of the year with extended illnesses, and one officer retired and the position was not refilled.
Due to the fact that the department was short handed, for the first time in several years, the department exceeded its budgeted overtime expenses. The department budgeted $79,000 for police overtime; it exceeded that amount by approximately $37,000. “Even with many hours of overtime, there were several shifts during the year that were covered with only two officers. Additionally, in attempts to reduce costs and increase officer safety, Deputy Chiefs [Dale] Smith and [Rodney] Marsh were required to supplement shifts,” Angelino explained in the report.
In a later discussion, the Police Chief pointed out that in the first two months of 2007 alone, the department racked up approximately 70 hours of overtime. That number has been significantly reduced for 2008. With a full staff at the department and scheduling changes that allow more officers to be on duty at a time without costing the city additional money, the total number of overtime hours in the first two months of 2008 totaled 2.5. “The scheduling change was huge. It was monumental,” Angelino said. The scheduling change changed increased the number of hours in a traditional shift from eight to twelve, allowing more officers to be on duty at the same time. The officers agreed to work the shifts with no additional overtime pay, in exchange for more consecutive days off.
The scheduling change will allow the police department to do things its has been hoping to do for some time, including the possibility of having a plain clothes officer on duty, and increasing foot and bicycle patrols.
The police department investigated several major crimes in 2007, including the first murder to take place in the city in a decade. “The biggest and most memorable event of 2007 was the murder of Tammy Periard, but it is by no means a highlight,” Angelino said. On March 20, the department was contacted by concerned family members who had not seen Periard in two days. By the following day, members of the New York State Police, Chenango County Sheriff’s Department, the Greene Police Department, New York State Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Police were contacted to help with the investigation. “The quick conclusion of the investigation is a credit to the officers and the cooperation of several agencies,” Angelino said.
In the next year, Angelino said he expects code enforcement to be a big issue. The department has been getting involved in the process as more officers are attending codes training. “Codes is going to be a concentration in the future. That is our infrastructure, our tax base, and it deserves attention,” Angelino said.
Since Angelino has been holding dual positions as the Police and Fire Chief, he credits the officers in his department for giving him the freedom to manage two positions. ‘I’m proud of the department. I’m blessed to have loyal and dedicated officers. It makes it easier everyday when I have to go to the Fire Department to know that I have officers here who are dedicated to doing the right thing,” Angelino said.
Among other figures in the report, statistics showed that the most criminal complaints, 280, were received in July; the most criminal arrests, 79, were made in March; and May was the most dangerous month for driving in the city of Norwich. In May, 25 accidents were logged, seven of which involved personal injury.
On average, Police Chief Joseph Angelino said most of the numbers had remained the same or decreased slightly from 2006. “I don’t believe this is a community-wide trend. I do feel activity of the police officers in 2007 was slightly decreased by having at times up to four police officers missing from duty,” Angelino explained in the report. Two of the department’s 19 officers were attending cadet school, a daily training regiment that lasts for seven months. Two officers were out for portions of the year with extended illnesses, and one officer retired and the position was not refilled.
Due to the fact that the department was short handed, for the first time in several years, the department exceeded its budgeted overtime expenses. The department budgeted $79,000 for police overtime; it exceeded that amount by approximately $37,000. “Even with many hours of overtime, there were several shifts during the year that were covered with only two officers. Additionally, in attempts to reduce costs and increase officer safety, Deputy Chiefs [Dale] Smith and [Rodney] Marsh were required to supplement shifts,” Angelino explained in the report.
In a later discussion, the Police Chief pointed out that in the first two months of 2007 alone, the department racked up approximately 70 hours of overtime. That number has been significantly reduced for 2008. With a full staff at the department and scheduling changes that allow more officers to be on duty at a time without costing the city additional money, the total number of overtime hours in the first two months of 2008 totaled 2.5. “The scheduling change was huge. It was monumental,” Angelino said. The scheduling change changed increased the number of hours in a traditional shift from eight to twelve, allowing more officers to be on duty at the same time. The officers agreed to work the shifts with no additional overtime pay, in exchange for more consecutive days off.
The scheduling change will allow the police department to do things its has been hoping to do for some time, including the possibility of having a plain clothes officer on duty, and increasing foot and bicycle patrols.
The police department investigated several major crimes in 2007, including the first murder to take place in the city in a decade. “The biggest and most memorable event of 2007 was the murder of Tammy Periard, but it is by no means a highlight,” Angelino said. On March 20, the department was contacted by concerned family members who had not seen Periard in two days. By the following day, members of the New York State Police, Chenango County Sheriff’s Department, the Greene Police Department, New York State Forest Rangers and Environmental Conservation Police were contacted to help with the investigation. “The quick conclusion of the investigation is a credit to the officers and the cooperation of several agencies,” Angelino said.
In the next year, Angelino said he expects code enforcement to be a big issue. The department has been getting involved in the process as more officers are attending codes training. “Codes is going to be a concentration in the future. That is our infrastructure, our tax base, and it deserves attention,” Angelino said.
Since Angelino has been holding dual positions as the Police and Fire Chief, he credits the officers in his department for giving him the freedom to manage two positions. ‘I’m proud of the department. I’m blessed to have loyal and dedicated officers. It makes it easier everyday when I have to go to the Fire Department to know that I have officers here who are dedicated to doing the right thing,” Angelino said.
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