JOPLIN, MO.--- Joplin crime takes a drop in November. But more of those cases are targeting car batteries. Along with battery theft, stolen copper wiring and A/C units continue to be an issue. Even with those cases, larceny overall is down 22% from last month. General property crime has seen a similar decrease, while violent crime is down 19 percent. Joplin Police Chief Lane Roberts says cutting down on the theft cases is a focus moving forward.
"They do have value, and we're getting some assistance from people who take those batteries in trade or give money for them. They're being pretty cooperative with us in identifying who's doing this," says Roberts.
The November numbers bring Joplin to a total of 3,818 cases so far this year, which is a drop of almost 1% compared to last year.
