MONTICELLO – There is good news, and bad news in last year’s crime statistics. Perhaps a bit more bad news, according to Sullivan County District Attorney James Farrell, who reported the numbers to the county legislature’s Public Safety Committee on Thursday.
“Burglary continues a downward trajectory,” said Farrell. Based on preliminary numbers, they were down 22 percent in 2016. They have dropped from over 500 in 2012 to under 300 last year.
Felony arrests, also declined, but only slightly, by about four percent, the DA said.
“The number that disturbs me, though, a little bit, is the violent felony arrests,” Farrell said. “They are up, and they are up 18 percent from ’15 to ’16.”
He said the statistics do point to a pattern that bears watching.
“We’re going to be keeping a close eye on that, certainly. With burglary down, and burglary being a violent crime, that means that the crimes that are up are assault. We had four murders in 2016.”
Farrell noted the successful conclusion of a homicide trial this week,
ending with a guilty plea to manslaughter. Another manslaughter case is
pending.
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