IT’S ENCOURAGING TO hear this week that reported crimes in Savannah and unincorporated Chatham County were at record lows last year.
Citizens reported 9,203 Part 1 crimes — the level that includes the most serious and violent offenses like murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault — in 2012. Police officials said that’s the first time in the community’s history that fewer than 10,000 Part 1 crimes were recorded.
But the best part about this annual report card is the degree of citizen cooperation with officers.
Metro Police Chief Willie Lovett said it’s way up — a 50 percent increase in calls to police in 2012 over the previous year.
“We had more calls but less crimes,” he said. “What that tells me is ... everyone is fed up with the fact that every time you turn around, we have people that we’ve arrested back on the street harassing people again, robbing again. It’s, I think, the community — the city of Savannah and Chatham County — that’s tired of continuously doing the same thing and getting the same results.”
He’s absolutely right. People are fed up.
But if this grim scenario is going to change, it’s going to require greater cooperation by private citizens with police and continued efforts by officers to earn the trust of people in crime-plagued neighborhoods.
After several high-profile murders and the very public shootings at the fairgrounds last year, no one should be complacent, especially when it comes to gang-related activities.
Instead, it’s a time to keep doing the things that appear to be working. Look for innovations that could drive down crime even more.
In other words, keep up the attack.
But the true impact of crime here and elsewhere isn’t calculated only in numbers. It’s also measured by how citizens feel, how they’ve adjusted their behaviors and the public investment they make in public safety.
Considering the cost of the new $71 million county jail, which is projected to require another $2.5 million annually to operate, that amount is considerable.
It’s important to note that improving education, promoting family values and creating a positive climate for job growth help reduce crime, too.
The impact of each of these factors may be tough to judge. But people who are educated, come from stable homes and have good jobs are less likely to murder, rob and steal than those who are ignorant, unstable and unemployed.