BPD Chief: Crime Down in Burlington

Burlington’s Police Chief says that despite contrary public sentiment, the crime rate in Burlington is actually going down, continuing a trend that has lasted for several years.

Police Chief Doug Beaird gave his annual report to the Burlington City Council during a Monday night work session. He reported that overall offenses fell to 5,707 last year, down from 5,875 the year before.

“I’d love to be able to change perceptions, but I can’t. You have to look at offenses, and they’re down by about 160,” said Beaird.

Mayor Pro-Temp Becky Anderson said that there is a perception amongst the public that crime is rising in the city. That perception is one that Beaird, as well as Mayor Shane McCampbell, believes is coming mostly from social media.

“I think we need to get rid of the perception that Burlington has become so dangerous. I feel just as safe now as I did 10 years ago,” McCampbell said, “Now, 10 years ago, did I leave my door unlocked at my house? No, of course not. If someone wants to break into my house, they have to work for it. With that being said, we need to get a handle on the perception that Burlington is ‘getting so bad’. That’s not the case.”

Vaguely defined suspicious activity complaints had the most calls for service in 2014, animals calls, domestic disturbances, theft calls, and welfare checks rounded out the top five calls for service.

The department’s use of force also remained low. Force was used 15 times to apprehend suspects last year, out of 1,843 total arrests–that’s less than 1%.