Sexual assaults in Shelton almost doubled in 2011 from 2010, according to annual crime statistics released by the Shelton Police Department.
Twenty-two sexual assaults occurred last year, compared to 12 in 2010. Police Chief Joel Hurliman said the department is looking into the reasons for the increase.
Traditionally, the number of sexual assaults in Shelton fluctuates greatly each year.
“That’s kind of a difficult one to talk about because . . Is it that there’s more awareness and just more reporting?” Chief Hurliman said. ​“But it hasn’t gone unnoticed.”
Hurliman said police haven’t reviewed every single sexual assault and he couldn’t speak to the severity of the assaults reported.
In 2006, there were 14 sexual assaults reported in Shelton. That number jumped 93 percent to 27 sexual assaults reported in 2007.
But it went back down — to 19 sexual assault reports — in 2008. The number of reports hovered at 12 in 2009 and 2010, before jumping back up to 22 sexual assault reports in 2011.
“It’s something to keep an eye on as far as we’re concerned,” Hurliman said.
Other assaults also went up by about 24 percent, from 37 in 2010 to 46 in 2011. The assaults range in severity, Hurliman said. Some come from bar fights, where some could also come from domestic violence.
A Down Economy
Burglaries and larcenies increased in 2011. Much of this probably stems from a depressed economy, Hurliman said.
The number of burglaries in 2011 was 125, up from 112 burglaries in 2010 — an increase of about 11.6 percent. Larcenies increased about 18 percent, from 459 in 2010 to 542 in 2011.
“I’ve been saying this for a while, but crime rates also went down when the economy was good,” Hurliman said. ​“It doesn’t take much of a jump to make a big statistical increase. So now that the economy isn’t good, I think we are seeing a growth in burglaries.”
Click here for more information on burglaries and larcenies in the lower Valley.
Many of the larceny and burglary incidents are committed by those who wrestle with drug addiction and lost their job in the recession, he said.
“These aren’t committed by someone trying to feed their family,” he said.
This year’s burglary figures reflect a steady increase since 2007. Burglaries went up in 2010 from 2009 about 17.8 percent.
The most burglaries in Shelton happened in November and the most larcenies happened in August. Larcenies began to taper off through the fall and winter.
Hurliman said these crimes against property happen mostly while people aren’t home.
“Burglary is always on our radar, but that’s a crime against property for the most part,” he said. ​“But crimes against persons, those are our top priority.”
Improvements
Robberies, or crimes against people, improved by a fraction. Ten robberies happened in 2011, where 11 happened in 2010.
Hurliman said he considers this is as no real improvement.
“When the numbers are small, I don’t like taking credit,” he said. ​“We shouldn’t pat ourselves on the back too hard.”
But Shelton police are pretty good at nailing down the robberies that take place, he said.
“When it comes to robberies, we have a very high solve rate,” he said. ​“Almost 100 percent. Because it’s a crime against a person, we try to focus on that.”
But what did improve were motor vehicle accident deaths. That number dropped from three in 2010 to zero last year.
A couple contributing factors to the improvement include better DUI and speeding enforcement, Hurliman said.
Looking Ahead
After two sergeants and two patrol officers retired this year, Hurliman said he’s looking to hire three new police officers as early as he can, hopefully by the end of the fiscal year.
The Shelton Police Department currently has 50 employees, but there’s room in the budget for 62, he said. The only factor limiting him is Police Academy seats.
The hiring might help combat the increases in crime figures, such as burglaries and larcenies, he said.
MURDERS/MANSLAUGHTERS
2011: 0
2010: 0
2009: 0
SEXUAL ASSAULTS
2011: 22
2010: 12
2009: 12
ROBBERIES
2011: 10
2010: 11
2009: 15
ASSAULTS
2011: 46
2010: 37
2009: 60
BURGLARIES
2011: 125
2010: 112
2009: 92
AUTO THEFTS
2011: 24
2010: 27
2009: 39
LARCENIES
2011: 542
2010: 459
2009: 448
ADULT ARRESTS
2011: 563
2010: 582
2009: 673
JUVENILE ARRESTS
2011: 46
2010: 55
2009: 69
FATAL MOTOR VEHICLE ACCIDENTS
2011: 0
2010: 3
2009: 2
MOTOR VEHICLE INJURIES
2011: 179
2010: 158
2009: 181
