POCATELLO — Bannock County Sheriff Lorin Nielsen attributes a recent increase in crimes reported in the county during 2011 to a combination of people turning to violence to deal with pressures associated with the economy and law enforcement officers who are becoming less tolerant of the behavior.
The county responded to 249 offenses in 2011, compared to 166 in 2010, according to the Idaho State Police Bureau of Criminal Identification 2011 “Crime in Idaho” report released this month. And the number of arrests jumped from 262 to to 590.
Nielsen said those numbers reflect an increase in crimes against people, like assault.
“The economy is down and when that’s down we usually have a higher crime rate,” he said, adding that some people are turning to violence to deal with their problems. “People are more frustrated and their tempers are high.”
He said the numbers also reflect the fact that law enforcement officers have become less tolerant of the crimes that can eventually lead to more violent acts — even murder — if they’re not dealt with.
“We’re becoming more heavy-handed when the whole thing starts because it always escalates if we let it go,” he said.
There were 62 simple assault cases reported in Bannock County last year, according to the report, and of those 56 were cleared. That means officers either made an arrest or would have made an arrest if some exceptional means — like the death of the offender, extradition issues, or the victim refused to cooperate — hadn’t kept them from doing so. Bannock County deputies actually arrested 35 adults and eight juveniles last year for simple assault.
Of the five aggravated assault cases that were reported in the county last year, four were cleared and two adults were arrested, according to the report.
Nielsen said he sends two officers to respond to assault situations, especially when they’re in progress. And they always follow up on reports.
“It’s a team effort between patrol and detective divisions,” he said.
The county is also seeing crimes associated with drugs and alcohol, which he said may also be associated with people trying to deal with economic and other pressures.
There were 30 adults arrested for drug-related crimes in the county last year, and 11 juveniles, according to the report.
Nielsen said officers are working hard to deal with the crimes in the county, and are trying to improve in those areas where they feel they lack. For instance, he and his staff are going through training to help them handle mental health situations.
“We’ve got to do a better job with mental health,” he said, adding that it takes expertise beyond basic policing to handle those situations.
Although reported crimes and arrests are both up in the county, Nielsen said the numbers show that law enforcement officers are doing their jobs.
“I would be more concerned if we had no crimes to report. That would mean we’re not doing our job,” he said. “(This shows) we’re needed and we’re handling it.”
(2) comments
Neilsen is getting ready to ask for more officers. By manipulating the way his officers report incidents, he can show an increase in crime, when actually there has been none. By his own records 62 assaults were report with 56 being cleared. With they way he has reported the incidents it would show via Nielsen's method that he had a 90% clearance rate. In reality he only had a 56% clearance.
In assault cases in the majority of cases the victim knows the suspect and can identify who assaulted him or her. In the Bannock County cases they have only arrested half of the violent people involved in the cases. What the Sheriff doesn't tell you is that the other 40 plus percent were the result of failure of his officers to conduct follow up, interview additional witnesses, failing to file the charges in a timely fashion and many other reasons where supervision is not watching the officers involved in the cases.
Nielsen then claims that his officers are going through mental health training. This was only spurred after Nielsen's officers shot and killed a person that could have been helped with other resources. As the Sheriff has said himself "“We’re becoming more heavy-handed when the whole thing starts because it always escalates if we let it go,” he said.
Is a Law Enforcement operation only successful if the offender and officers are not hurt? Isn't time on the officers side. What about discretion and putting time on your side. According to the Sheriff it's okay to be heavy handed, because if you don't, it will escalate.
Its time for the Sheriff and his Deputies to return to the basics. Learn that every time that someone might question an officer does not justify Tasing him. Remember what you might have been taught years ago, but obviously have forgotten, the words that you use will make or break you.
Unfortunately Sheriff Nielsen hasn't learned that, and the County will continued to be sued for misconduct, and until the public understands that it is our tax dollars that pay for his incompetence, we will continue to pay high dividends until Nielsen and his officers learn how to conduct law enforcement. [sad]
A large part of the so-called increase in crime and arrests have to do with
the immigration status of individuals.Like Arizona, Idaho officers need only spot
a mexican and they go after them, pulling them over on the road or the street and immediately asking for identification. if papers are not immediately given they are deported without trial immediately.
Another factor is dealing with impecunious individuals or otherwise known as homeless
or vagrants. these people are profiled and often arrested on any cause whether justified or not and when released asked to leave the county and told they are not wanted and they are a detriment to the welfare of this holy society in Bannock County.
And of course warrants are issued for any cause like parking tickets when the fines are not paid quickly.
And not to be excluded is the upsurge of cell phone activity, neighborhood watch
wives and so on where the police are called whenever a mexican shows up in the neighborhood on foot or carrying a back pack.
To blame it on the economy shows the mentality of the invasion of privacy the
police monopolize on. It also shows the mentality of the populace that believes an aggrravated and escalatinging police state is going to solve societies problems.
Do not forget that the police have a quota of tickets, arrests etc that they must
complete every mounth.
By the Bannock County sheriffs own addmisssion arrests are necessary in order
for them to justify their existence. A better solution would be to erradicate the high tension caused by an oppressive police presence. People would again realize that
Pocatello can be a quiet little town provided of course it ever was.
But it is cultural. Laws are made by lawmakers. Lawmakers define crime.
And standards are defined by those in power. None of these factors make it correct.
Realistically the majority of our so called criminal world defined by the lawmakers is due to the automobile age. If the cars were gone---99% of any necissity for courts or cops would be gone as well.
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