At the April 11 City Council Meeting, Police Chief Paul Spencer presented the Police Department's Annual Report. This report included a statistical review of the year, notable events from the patrol and criminal investigation divisions, and goals and objectives for Fiscal Year 2023.
APD's report indicates that the crime rate in Addison increased by 8.3% in 2022. Chief Spencer shared that historical Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) data shows crime rates are a cycle that include a seven to nine year gradual increase followed by a similar seven to nine year gradual decrease. Last year, most felony "crimes against persons" offenses were down compared to 2021, with the notable exception of assaults. Chief Spencer indicated that the majority of these were classified as "simple" assaults. APD personnel will continue to prosecute these crimes and work with victims to ensure the best outcomes possible.
Addison's largest crime rate increase in 2022 was for property crime. The majority of these offenses were committed under opportunistic, low-risk circumstances such as forgotten wallets, unlocked vehicles, or valuables left in plain sight. Common targets include work laptop bags, backpacks, and purses that are left visible in cars parked in restaurant parking lots. Officers and detectives have arrested multiple thieves this year, most of whom are known to Addison or surrounding agencies as repeat offenders. The intelligence shared by APD has solved dozens of offenses in other cities. Likewise, these cities have helped Addison link their suspects to our offenses.
Another factor that impacted the property crime rate increase was thefts of catalytic converters. Due to the the hard work and tenacity of APD's Patrol Division, six sets of catalytic converter thieves were arrested and several others were identified in 2022. The efforts of these officers helped demonstrate a need for an ordinance against unlawful possession of these auto parts, which Addison City Council voted to ratify in March 2023.
You can watch Council's Police Annual Report discussion here, read the presentation here, and review the report here.
