Police Reflect on Summer Crime, Community Awareness Stressed

A suspected vandal’s in recent weeks could be considered symbolic of the splash of summer crime in Cuyahoga Falls.

Police arrested a soggy Anthony Stemple after fishing him out of the river on August 13 while responding to an alarm at the on Front Street. Stemple was charged with breaking and entering and is awaiting trial. The break in was just one of nearly a dozen reports that included smashed windows in businesses and schools, ransacked homes and burglarized properties this summer.

Cuyahoga Falls Police Capt. Jack Davis said while the rash of crimes might be alarming to some, the number of reported property crimes is not significantly higher than past years.

“When we become aware of a rash of crimes we do alert the patrol officers to be more aware,’’ Davis said. “We review reports every day and when there is an increase we address it.”

Kevin Hess, owner of the Whistle Stop, said the break in was the first in the six years he has owned the shop. He said he was unsure if there is an increase or if residents are just more aware because of recent Internet postings on crimes.

“Break-ins have been a concern of mine ever since I bought the store,’’ Hess said. “I am not sure if there are more now than in the past.’’

Hess said police responded quickly and made one arrest while a second suspect escaped.

In April, police arrested another man for a string of vandalisms that cost more than $4,000 to repair shattered windows at on Front Street, on Broad Boulevard and .

Cuyahoga Falls Police Property Crime Statistics:

• 104 during the summer months of 2010.
• 123 reports between May and July of 2011.

While that does show an increase this summer, the FBI crime index which tallies crimes reports nationally, shows a decrease in property crimes in Cuyahoga Falls in recent years.

In 2004, 2005 and 2006 FBI’s crime index averaged 3,700 property crimes for Cuyahoga Falls. That number dropped in 2009 to 2,792.  More recent numbers from the FBI were not available.

Davis said Cuyahoga Falls, like many other city police, is seeing staffing cuts in the department.

Federal dollars that paid for programs that added officers on the streets have been slashed. Davis said officials took precautions to ensure that neighborhood patrols were not impacted by those cuts.

He said the city disbanded its special operations bureau and sent those officers and some detective back to the street.

Davis declined to say how many officers are on night patrol but the department is staffed with 98 sworn officers and 30 civilians.

Davis said citizens need to be aware of their neighbors. It was a tip that alerted police to the Whistle Stop break in.

He said while block watches are not as popular today as in years past, it is imperative that neighbors look out for each other.

 “There are always going to be more crimes than we can catch,’’ Davis said.