OCEAN CITY – Although an increase was reported in calls for service to the Ocean City Police Department in November, the majority of calls were officer initiated, continuing a recent trend.
At Monday’s Police Commission meeting, Police Chief Ross Buzzuro reported November’s total calls for service, including traffic stops, business checks and assistance to citizens, totaled 3,423, which is a 5.5-percent increase from November 2012 when there were 3,245 calls for service.
Out of that total, 2,698 were officer initiated, which is a 11.6-percent increase from November 2012, and 725 were citizen initiated, which is a 12.4-percent decrease from November 2012.
The total number of calls for service, excluding traffic stops, business checks and assisting citizens, totaled 1,764, which is an 8.7-percent decrease from November 2012 when there were 1,933 calls for service. Out of the total, 1,081 were officer initiated, which is a 5.5-percent decrease from November 2012, and 683 were citizen initiated, which is a 13.4-percent decrease from November 2012.
The top 25 calls for service reflect about an equal amount of increases and decreases compared to last year with a handful of categories remaining the same.
The categories that increased started with suspicious person or activity totaling 111 compared to 109 last November; assist to Ocean City EMS increased to 56 this year compared to 46 last year; collisions reached 27 this year compared to 23 last year; theft already occurred totaled 26 this year compared to 16 last year; civil dispute increased to 23 compared to 21 last year; city ordinance violations rose to 13 this year from 12 last year; assault already occurred totaled 10 this year compared to six in 2012; breaking and entering reached nine compared to six last year; parking complaints/violations totaled eight this year compared to five last year; telephone misuse increased to six this year from one last year; and tow impound reached one from none last year.
Coded calls for service that decreased included 911 hang up calls to 100 this November from 114 last November; warrant attempt or arrest declined to 38 this year compared to 49 last year; disorderly totaled 36 this year compared to 43 last November; domestic assault/dispute decreased to 26 this year from 41 last year; DWI investigate and/or arrest reached 25 this year compared to 30 last year; CDS violations declined to 16 this year compared to 33 last year; malicious destruction of property totaled 13 compared to 16 last November; trespassing decreased to eight from 16 last year; lost property report totaled three this year compared to five last year; and forgery of any kind was cut in half from three this year compared to six last November.
There were 106 arrests made in November and 11 criminal citations issued. There were 18 drug arrests made and nine drug citations. There were 27 DUI arrests made and nine weapon arrests, according to OCPD data.
After 11 months, a weekly breakdown reflects a 13.1-percent decrease in total crime this year compared to last year.
Part 1 Crime includes two homicides and one shooting compared to none last year. Also, there has been a decline in forcible rape with 21 so far this year from 23 this time last year; robberies remain the same with 18 this year and last year; a decrease in aggravate assault with 42 this year and 57 last year; a decrease in overall burglaries with 229 this year and 274 last year; a decline in larceny with 978 this year and 1,091 last year, a decrease in auto theft with 31 this year and 53 this time last year; and two incidents of arson compared to three this time last year.
There have been 768 common assaults so far this year compared to 868 this time last year and 56 minor sex offenses so far this year compared to 84 last year, resulting in an overall total of 2,147 crimes as of the end of November compared to 2,471 at the end of November in 2012.
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