2006 Performance Based Budget - Laserfiche WebLink

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powerful tool to arnake the right calls in the fight against crime. We have been making positive strides against crime in South Bend with larcenies and non-residential burglaries at their lowest level in twenty years. Major crimes are down 31% over the past ten years. However, during 2005, we lost some ground. Residential burglaries were up 16%, though still the third lowest annual number during the last ten years. Part of the increase involved thefts of aluminum siding and copper at vacant houses. We also saw a 7% rise in motor vehicle thefts and the number of arsons increased by 27. Overall crime rose slightly (1.4%) from 2004. We will continue to use all the tools at our disposal to keep South Bend safe. The two most important resources we have are the professional men and women of the Police Department and members ofthe community. Whether reporting tips to Crime Stoppers or participating in Neighborhood Watch efforts, community residents are a critical component of our Safe City strategy. Police Department staff has been tireless in their efforts to engage the community. The Citizen's Police Academy continues to be a success. This year South Bend will proudly host the 2006 National Citizen Police Academy Conference thanks to the hard work of our Community Oriented Police Leadership group. The National Night Out Against Crime was held at Howard Park, reinforcing our commitment to work with Watch groups, partnership centers and neighborhood organizations. Crime analysts and patrol supervisors share crime statistics with residents on a regular basis. Civilian Volunteer Officers (CVOs) and Volunteers in Policing (NIPS) provide valuable assistance with patrols, traffic control and special events. Without their help we would not be able to sustain the various walks, runs and parades in South Bend. During 2005 they provided over 14,000 hours of service. With the most recent NIPS class graduation, we have over 80 volunteers. Our program sets the standard for VIl'S across the country. It was a special day last year when one of them, Leticia Bajer, became an American citizen. We are grateful for her service and proud to have her in our community. The Poliee Department has made special efforts to reach out to seniors and young people in our community. We held special versions of the Citizens Police Academy for each group so that we could tailor the information to their unique perspectives. Reaching out to youth starts A-36