'No Alarming Trends' in Palmer Crime, Police Chief Says

During his year at the helm of Palmer Township's police department, Chief Larry Palmer has instituted numerous policies designed to get the force up to snuff.

And one of those policies has been issuing monthly reports on police activity in the township that the chief delivers monthly to the Board of Supervisors and the media.

Chief Palmer said Tuesday that his department will also make available the daily police blotter to the media.

Palmer recently analyzed crime in Palmer Township over the past year in following the Uniform Crime Reports for 2012.

And here's the good news:

"There are no alarming trends or spikes in any particular reported incident of crime," he said. "The trend is downward. We must monitor the numbers throughout the year to adjust and adapt to any trends, patterns or issues that may arise."

The analysis indicated that:

• Theft dropped 31 percent from 2008 to 2012.
• Frauds committed increased by 35 percent since 2010. (The chief said that mirrors a national trend in the crimes of identity theft and computer fraud.)
• Criminal mischief/vandalism is down 59 percent from 2010 to 2012.
• Disorderly conduct is down 66 percent from 2010 to 2012.
• Violent crime such as homicide, rape, robbery and assaults made up only 12 percent of all 2012 crime.
• Crimes like forgery, sex and drug offenses, DUIs, loitering, weapons offenses, criminal mischief and receiving stolen property are down 16 percent in 2012 from 2011 and 35 percent since 2010.