Rio Blanco County crime holds steady

RBC I The incidence of crime in Rio Blanco County during 2012 remained in line with figures from 2011, with some figures showing slight increases and other types of incidents showing slight decreases.
In addition, the crime figures and statistics are down sharply since 2008, 2009 and 2010, when the numbers printed in the 2012 Annual Report — now being completed by the Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office (RBCSO) — show that crime reports and incidents were at their highest in the past seven years.
There were 4,797 total incidents handled by Rio Blanco County Sheriff’s Office (RBCSO) deputies in 2012 compared to 5,057 in 2011. The highest number of incidents reported to the RBCSO in the past seven years came in 2009, when the number peaked at 10,038 incidents. The lowest number was reported in 2012, when only 4,797 incidents were reported.
The number of incidents in which case numbers were established was up slightly to 2,041 in 2012 compared to 1,774 in 2011. Case numbers are given when a case involves a crime or an action taken by a deputy.
Undersheriff Michael Joos explained that events such as driver assists, calls regarding dead livestock, etc., which are not crimes and which don’t involve any official action taken by a deputy, are not given case numbers,
The number of total crime incident reports was up slightly from 744 in 2011 to 766 in 2012. Those figures compare to a high of 1,465 in 2008 and a low of 744 in 2011.
The number of total accidents reported was up nearly 50 percent at 168 in 2012 compared to only 115 in 2011. The highest number of accident reports in the last six years came in 2008 with 263 while the lowest number was the 115 in 2011.
RBCSO deputies were overall busier in 2012, having logged 306 total arrests compared to 256 in 2011. The highest number of arrests by deputies came in 2009 with 652 arrests, one more than in 2008, and the lowest number of arrests in the last six years came in 2011 with 256.
The number of summonses issued in 2012 was 1,549, a decrease from 1,625 in 2011. Those figures compare to a high of 3,331 in 2009 and a low of 1,549 in 2012.
The number of warnings issued in 2012 was roughly one-third lower with 1,009 issued in 2012 compared to 1,523 in 2011. The highest number of warnings was issued in 2009 with 2,967; the lowest number came in 2012 with the 1009.
Court-ordered restitution was down sharply, totaling only $653.43 in 2012 compared to $1,640 in 2011. The highest amount came in 2008 with $4,963 in restitution ordered; the least was in 2012 with the $635.43.
The number of concealed-weapons permits increased by slightly more than 50 percent with 98 permits issued in Rio Blanco County compared to only 61 in 2011. The highest number issued came in 2009 with 107 permits issued while the low was in 2010 with only 40 issued. The fees paid for concealed gun permits brought in $4,400 in 2012 compared to $2,650 in 2011. Permits in 2009 brought in a high of $5,350 compared to a low of $2,000 in 2010.
The number of civil process papers received to be served by county deputies totaled 313 in 2012 compared to 335 in 2011. The highest number of papers served by the deputies came in 2010, when 524 were served, and the lowest number of papers served came in 2012, with the 313.
And even though there was a decrease in the number of civil papers served in 2012, $9,399 in fees were collected compared to $8,229 in 2011. The highest amount collected came in 2010 with $13,140 having been collected compared to the $8,229 collected in 2011.