TYLER POLICE DEPARTMENT

The Tyler Police Department reported an overall decrease in crime for 2018, but did see increases in certain areas.

That’s according to the latest crime statistics released by the department on Wednesday. The data is divided into two categories and includes numbers for the past three years.

Part 1 offenses comprise eight crimes: murder and non-negligent homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, or crimes against people, and burglary, motor vehicle theft, larceny/theft and arson, which are crimes against property, according to the Department of Justice.

Part 2 crimes include those that officers respond to when they are on the road, such as: criminal mischief, prostitution, drug violations, public intoxication and disorderly conduct, among other offenses.

The report showed an overall decrease of more than 1 percent in violent crimes, with decreases in homicides, aggravated assault, burglary and theft, and upticks in robberies, sexual assaults and auto thefts.

“A decrease in overall crime is remarkable because Tyler is growing,” Chief Jimmy Toler said. “We are going in a positive direction.”

Toler said the increase in sexual assaults is likely due to the work of the East Texas Crisis Center and the Children’s Advocacy Center, which help victims feel more comfortable coming forward to report assault.

“We’ve placed an additional investigator at the Children’s Advocacy Center,” Toler said. “Sexual assault investigations are labor intensive. They require medical and forensic exams. Victims need long-term care. We need to do the investigation in a timely manner to have a successful outcome.”

He said the increase in auto theft can be attributed to high demands for certain car parts and people reporting cars as being stolen when someone they loaned

their vehicle to did not bring it back in a timely manner.

Toler said the department works to combat auto theft by having a detective working with the East Texas Auto Theft Task Force.

The city saw property crimes decrease by almost 5 percent with decreases in burglary and theft.

Toler said he is glad to see the decrease in property crimes and attributes it to the work of the police officers, prosecutors and the heavy penalties assessed for committing these crimes, such as the recent 50-year sentence handed down to a ranking gang member.

In Part 2 crimes, the report shows another significant increase in drug-related arrests, 93 more in 2018 than the prior year.

Toler said drug-related crimes range from possession of drug paraphernalia to possession and distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine.

“This increase can be attributed to having officers who are self-motivated to investigate during traffic stops and when they receive reports about drug houses,” he said.

“Many times they are complaint-driven and we get those by going out in the community for the church and community meetings and through our enhanced community outreach events when we go door-to-door and ask about things in the neighborhood.”

There also were 63 more arrests for simple assault and 15 more arrests for sex offenses that are not considered rape.

A small uptick was seen for weapons violations, prostitution and liquor law violations.

Police saw a significant decrease in criminal mischief with decreases in forgery, fraud, embezzlement, family offenses and disorderly conduct.

There also were fewer DUI arrests, but more arrests for public intoxication.

Toler attributes the decline in people driving under the influence to ride-share programs and designated drivers.

“Two hundred and sixtyseven is still too many,” Toler said. “We have specialized training. We are making arrests for crashes and fatalities that happen due to drinking and driving and we continue to be aggressive against the problem.”

Toler said the increase in public intoxication is likely due to having more public venues and events where alcohol is sold and served.

Toler said the annual report is like a scorecard for the department and it also allows them to inform the community about crime and gives people an opportunity to compare the numbers with every other community.

“The information lets us know how we’re doing,” he said. “We adjust to the crime trends by adding investigators as we see (increases) in certain crimes. We shift personnel and resources continually and consistently and make adjustments in the right areas and places.”

“I am extremely proud of the commitment and dedication of the men and women of the Tyler Police Department as they work every day to protect the citizens of Tyler,” Toler said in a news release. “It has been a challenging year as we worked with our law enforcement and community partners to work several high-profile investigations.”

Toler said he wants the residents of Tyler and visitors to the area to know that the department is taking appropriate steps, using every available resource to respond and investigate incidents in the community.

“We are doing everything we can to make the city safer,” he said.

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