Crime in Mountain Home drops to 10-year low

Crime in Mountain Home dropped to a 10-year low in 2012 while numbers spiked elsewhere in the county, according to an annual report released by the Idaho State Police.

The county had a total of 1,047 reported offenses during the 12-month period with nearly 800 of those crimes occurring within the city of Mountain Home.

Taking the city's figures out of these overall statistics showed that the annual crime rate in other communities actually jumped by more than 33 percent last year, according to the state police report.

While the number of reported offenses in Elmore County remained on a downward trend compared to crimes reported in 2007 and 2008, total arrests saw little change over the past two years. The county's highest crime figures over the past five years peaked in 2008 with 1,453 cases leading to 611 arrests.

According to the state police report, police officers and sheriff's deputies arrested 688 people in 2012, including 110 juveniles. Mountain Home accounted for 568 of those arrests.

Assaults topped the list of reported crimes committed across the county over the past year with 268 reported cases that led to the arrest of 100 people, including nine juveniles. In Mountain Home, a number of those assaults happened around the city's bar district with other incidents involving domestic disputes.

Thefts and burglaries were also on the rise in 2012 with 303 reported cases in which 63 people were arrested, the state police reported. The county also had three robberies in addition to 11 vehicle thefts.

Drug and narcotics cases nearly doubled last year with law enforcement officers investigating 73 cases. While investigators cleared most of these offenses, 50 adults and six juveniles were arrested in connection with these crimes.

"With the economy the way it is, it's going to drive crime up," said Chief Deputy Mike Barclay, who sees a direct link between a downturn in economic conditions and an increase in arrests and reported crimes.

"People, when they're down on their luck, are more apt to temptation (to commit crimes)," Barclay said.

Excessive alcohol and illegal drug use generate a considerable number of crimes committed each year, said Elmore County Sheriff Rick Layher.

Alcohol use will typically lead to an increase of drunken driving incidents, domestic assaults and vehicle crashes. Meanwhile, increased narcotics use by people in this county tends to trigger more burglaries and thefts as drug abusers steal money and property to support their addiction.

However, current drug and narcotic cases here are considerably lower than 30 years ago when county deputies handled more than 100 narcotic cases per year. However, the county needs to remain vigilant in this fight, Layher said.

"Our enforcement efforts over the years have made a difference," he added. "(However), if we ever get to the thought process that we don't have a drug problem, then we're in trouble."

Stopping even one person from selling drugs to someone on the street makes a difference, according to the sheriff.

Other reported offenses at the top of the county-wide list included 54 aggravated assaults, seven reported rapes and 23 cases of forcible fondling. There were also 121 vandalism cases.

Vandalism remains one of the toughest crimes to solve in places like Mountain Home since there are usually no witnesses, Schilz said. Most of the ones that eventually get caught are those who brag about it to their friends with word eventually reaching the police department.

Meanwhile, instances of people driving under the influence took a nearly 17 percent drop from 2011 to 2012 with law enforcement officers arresting 107 adults and two juveniles. In 2011, officers arrested 131 individuals for drunken driving.

Public awareness and cooperation is helping local law enforcement identify and catch those who are driving under the influence, Schilz said. With so many people having instant access to cell phones, it's much easier for them to report a dangerous driver.

Police make a concerted effort to track down these drivers and get them off the road before they hurt themselves or someone else, Schilz said.

The sheriff emphasized that public involvement remains the best tool to fighting crime.

"Our citizens are more attentive to themselves and their neighbors and watch out for one another" and calling 911 when they see suspicious people or activity, Layher said.

The public's help plays an equally important role in preventing assaults, said Police Sgt. Rick Viola, a spokesman with the city police. People will err on the side of caution and call the police if they see things getting out of control before they escalate.

Even if a suspicious individual or incident turns out to be unfounded, the public's extra sets of eyes and ears give law enforcement a chance to stop a crime before it happens, Schilz added.

Over the past year, the county and city have also worked to increase their presence across their respective coverage areas.

For example, the city police department launched a reserve officer program in recent months, which is putting more uniformed law enforcement individuals on local streets. The department currently has three reserve officers and is lobbying to bring more on board.

At the same time, the city police hired five new officers, bringing the department back to full strength. Meanwhile the county sheriff's department recently added a narcotics dog and handler to its drug prevention team.

Aiding in these patrols are volunteers with the city and county Citizens on Patrol teams, who are helping extend this law enforcement presence.

Mountain Home's crime statistics for 2012 continued a downward trend following a record set four years prior in which the city had 1,217 reported cases. On average, the city deals with about 1,050 crimes per year.

Despite these latest statistics, the sheriff and police chief agreed that Elmore County and Mountain Home remain safe places for people to live, work and play.

"I base that on our low crime rate on serious crimes," Layher said. "You don't see a lot of homicides or robberies... or violence crimes here."

"Most people here enjoy that small community feel in Mountain Home," Schilz added. "They are comfortable with letting their children go to the parks or going out as a family to community events."

Statewide, the overall crime rate fell dropped by 1.5 percent with roughly 5,090 reported cases for every 100,000 people. While crimes against people were down by 1.3 percent, Idaho's violent crime rate actually increased by more than 5 percent during the past year.

Meanwhile, crimes against society, including drug and narcotics cases as well as weapons law violations increased by 2 percent in 2012. However, hate crimes showed a nearly 8 percent drop with only 36 reported incidents across the state.