The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – A recent rash of burglaries may adversely affect numbers for 2015, but crime statistics for Waitsburg dropped in nearly every category between 2013 and 2014. Walla Walla County Sheriff John Turner presented comparison statistics that evidence what he called a “pretty significant decrease” at the April 15 Waitsburg City Council Meeting.

The only crime category to show an increase was motor vehicle theft which increased from zero in 2013 to three in 2014. Turner made special note of the decrease in domestic violence/no contact order violations which dropped from seven in 2013 to one in 2014.

Crime Comparisons Between 2013 and 2014

Crimes 2013/2014

Forcible Rape 0/0

Simple Assault 7/5

Burglary/Breaking and Entering 17/9

All Other Larceny 27/1

Motor Vehicle Theft 0/3

Violation of No Contact Order 7/1

Turner attributed the decrease partially to arrests for other things, such as driving with a suspended license, that take known offenders off the street as well as focused investigations that led to specific arrests.

“We do know that one of the biggest problems that we’ve had in recent history in Waitsburg is slated to be getting out of prison, so we’ll keep monitoring that and see how that individual behaves when he gets out of prison ,” Turner said.

Turner noted that the sheriff’s office is contracted at 29.36 hours per week and, as of Feb. 2015 they have provided 93.45 hours above the contracted rate. Turner said that deputies will continue to cover Waitsburg regardless of whether or not contracted hours are met and that he recently authorized overtime for deputies to follow leads in the recent Bruce and Wilson-Phillips House museum burglaries.