JEdingerscottjan12amestown (CSi) The Jamestown Police Department reports that in 2015,domestic assaults increased 17.5 percent from 2014.

Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger, says, police responded to 127 domestic assault calls in 2015, up from 108 in 2014. In 2013 there were 96 domestic assault calls.

Edinger says the increase in domestic assaults is part of an overall increase in violent crimes in Jamestown. Aggravated assault calls increased in 2015, as did simple assault and child abuse/neglect calls.

He adds that another reason why there is an increase in domestic assault calls is due to multiple calls to the same house or incident.

SAFE Shelter Executive Director Lynne Tally points out the shelter’s numbers show a slight increase in domestic assault cases from 2014 to 2015, from 139 to 141.

Tally adds most domestic assault cases that come to SAFE Shelter involve addiction issues such as alcohol and drug abuse and mental health issues.

Sometimes it is the victim who has these issues, sometimes it is the abuser, and sometimes it is both who have addiction issues

SAFE Shelter offers help for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence and stalking.

 

There are noted increases in sex offender registrations and drug offenses.

Jamestown Police Chief Scott Edinger said there were 801 sex offender registration calls in 2015, up from 634 calls in 2014.

Edinger said the increase is due to more registered sex offenders moving into the community from out of town. He said registered sex offenders are required by North Dakota law to check in each month with local law enforcement.

Edinger said the increase in registered sex offenders living in the community hasn’t presented any law enforcement challenges, other than the time it takes to check all of the registered sex offenders living at the addresses the police department has on record.

There is a decrease in the number of calls for service officers responded to in 2015. A call for service is anytime an officer is dispatched to a scene.

There were 16,178 calls for service in 2015, down from 16,653 calls for service in 2014. Edinger said the department didn’t have a full contingent of police officers in 2015, which affected the department’s effectiveness in enforcing in different areas, like traffic enforcement. There were 2,533 traffic-hazard calls handled by the Jamestown Police Department, down from 2,896 calls in 2014.

Reportable offenses—crimes the Jamestown Police Department is required to report to the FBI each year—overall were down from 1,346 in 2014 to 1,124 in 2015. Edinger said there were notable increases in the number of cases for possession of marijuana, 91 in 2015, which is up from 67 in 2014. There were also increases in the number of cases for possession of methamphetamine, 33 in 2015, which is up from 22 in 2014.