Overall crime in Portage decreased for the fourth year in a row, according to figures released Friday by Police Chief Troy Williams.
Robberies, burglaries, thefts, aggravated assaults and vehicle thefts all saw significant drops, he said, though the city saw three homicides, up from two in 2014. One suspect killed himself and arrests were made in the other two cases.
There were eight rapes reported, one of which was beyond the statute of limitations, up from six in 2014. The victims knew the suspects in all of those cases. Simple assaults and arsons also were up.
“Of course, we’re happy that the crime statistics are down for another year in a row as the more that crime drops, the higher the quality of life in our city rises,” said Mayor James Snyder. “However, we are not satisfied. Chief Williams and his team are and will continue to be the best at what they do.”
Williams cited a number of reasons for the overall drop in crime, including communication and trust with the community; added officers on the streets and in the schools; and the ability of department detectives to solve and close cases.
“We border Gary and Lake County, and we have five major roadways that come through our town,” he said. “Much of our major crime is not committed by our residents, but from those that choose to come here because we have a nice community and businesses. We’ve seen people from Chicago come here to commit crime. Every community has it, but it’s how you go about dealing with it that makes the difference.”
The drop in crime last year continues what’s been a trend for the past few years.
In 2012, Williams said the city saw the largest single drop in crime in its history, when it dropped by 17.5 percent. Crime dropped around 13.8 percent in 2013, and fell almost 10 percent in 2014. In 2015, crime decreased 3.4 percent.
“To have a four-straight-year reduction tells me that we are doing things right and will continue to attack issues head on and when something comes we will deal with it,” he said.
The department will move into a new building this year, at the former University Center on Central Avenue, something Williams said is long overdue. The building, which is being reconfigured to accommodate the police department, will have a larger training room; expanded evidence storage; space for each of the department’s specialty units; an armory; more clerical space; and will be handicap accessible.
Amy Lavalley is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
