Crow Wing County has seen a 56 percent reduction in burglaries, Crow Wing County Sheriff Todd Dahl reported in a news release Tuesday.
In 2014, Dahl made a challenge with deputies that he would like to see a reduction in property crimes.
"Burglaries have always been a high priority," Dahl said in a news release. "However, it seems as though we have a tendency to get wrapped up in many other things and we place it on the back burner."
Dahl said the 56 percent reduction in burglaries has a been a collaborative effort between investigators, field deputies and records where new initiatives were developed to aggressively combat the significant burglary issue in the lakes area.
"It is an honor to represent these officers and see the way they rise to the occasion," said Dahl. "Some of these initiatives included regular meetings between sheriff's office investigators where in-depth discussion regarding evidence and/or suspects take place.
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"They do tremendous work and I couldn't be more proud."
Last year, each investigator was assigned to a field division team so communication would happen in real time. Statistical data related to burglaries was frequently reviewed and field saturations were planned to cover high risk areas. Regular communication with the public was shared to help spread the word throughout the community which helped investigators by enlisting the public's observations regarding suspicious activities.
"The willingness of our public to get involved and make the phone call has been tremendous and our office can't do it without the help of the people," Dahl said. "The key to this is the actual first report from the victim, to the officer in the field and then to on-going follow-up for past and current leads."
The sheriff's office continues to work into 2015 towards further reducing burglaries that can plague the community. Dahl would like to continue to spread the word and solicit the community to report anything suspicious in their neighborhoods including vehicle, people or things that appear out of place. Working together with the community is a key piece in keeping burglars out of our area and keeping our communities safe.
To report anything suspicious, contact the sheriff's office at 829-4749 or go online at www.crowwing.us/sheriff . Callers can remain anonymous.
