Burglary Cases Drop in Carthage in 2012
By: Gretchen Bolander
Updated: January 11, 2013
CARTHAGE, MO-- Carthage police see a big drop in burglaries, even while theft is on the rise. Burglary cases dropped by 27%, a key goal for Carthage police in 2012. There were just 64 cases reported last year, compared with 88 in 2011. Carthage Police Chief Greg Dagnan credits a three pronged approach for the reduction. First - patrol officers conducting regular business checks, making sure doors were locked during off hours. They caught doors unlocked 179 times.
Dagnan said, "Also our team policing project we knew would just inherently reduce burglaries in that area. And there were two areas throughout the year. And then investigators had agreed to prioritize burglaries."
But year end numbers also show larceny cases, or theft, increased. The police chief says an uptick in shoplifting accounts for much of the increase. He points out that 56% of serious crimes were solved, a clearance rate much higher than many other law enforcement agencies.
