Happy New Year!
This is the first weekly column on crime and courts that will focus on highlighted cases, trends, issues and concerns. Look for data and input from professionals to pull the loose ends together during the year.
The holidays present a slow court calendar, and this first column will look at arrest logs through Dec. 28. Please keep in mind that one arrest can be for more than one charge.
Moving violations: The holidays mean celebrations, and 19 people apparently decided to drive home after too much of a good thing and were arrested for operating a vehicle under the influence. Three of them were charged with refusing to submit to a sobriety test, and one was accused of resisting an order to stop the vehicle.
This compares to 20 DUI arrests in November, as noted in KPD’s report to the Police Commission last month. It also does not include any DUI arrests that might have occurred Dec. 29 through New Year’s Eve.
There were nine arrests for driving without a license. One arrest included excess speed, and two others were for reckless driving.
Authorities reported one charge of fraudulent use of license plates. Another was for driving without no-fault insurance.
Missing court: The leading number of arrests in December, by far, were the 91 bench warrants for criminal contempt of court and failure to appear.
These individuals had already been arrested or scheduled to appear in court on traffic or criminal cases but failed to show. Missing court dates also triggered some of the 11 probation or parole violation arrests this month.
The county prosecutor’s office has stated that contempt of court turns one problem into a bigger one. An arrest warrant can be delivered at a place of work or at home, causing embarrassment and unnecessary jail time.
A bench warrant increases or revokes bail and, depending on the severity of the initial offense, can result in days, weeks or months in jail while going through the court process. Bail will cost more, and the likelihood of getting leniency or qualifying for deferred sentencing is reduced.
Violent Crime: There were 17 assault-related arrests in December, including a second-degree assault that amounts to substantial injury. Authorities reported 13 third-degree misdemeanor assaults for causing bodily harm by intent, negligence or accident.
Two arrests were for assault against a law enforcement officer, including a felony first-degree arrest for substantial injury. The other was an attempted assault.
There were 15 arrests for terroristic threats of bodily injury, three for disorderly conduct, four for resisting arrest and one escape charge. There were five sexual assault arrests in November. There were no such arrests noted in December.
Domestic: There were 24 family abuse arrests, although not necessarily related to domestic violence. Three individuals face 22 charges of discharge of sureties (failure to pay debts).
There were 12 harassment arrests and one for custody-interference, and another for unlawful imprisonment. There were 13 protective order violations and nine arrests for violations of temporary restraining orders. Authorities reported two arrests of minors for underage drinking.
Drugs: Regarding personal use arrests, there were 22 for third-degree dangerous drug possession and nine for third-degree detrimental drugs. Most of these involved methamphetamine, and there were three harmful drug arrests for marijuana.
Two arrests were for second-degree methamphetamine trafficking, and two more were for commercial promotion of marijuana. There was one arrest for promotion of a controlled substance near a school.
Accompanying the drug possession arrests are 32 drug paraphernalia charges in which the suspect reportedly had items used to ingest drugs that contained narcotic residue.
Property: There was one arrest for accidental damage caused by a vehicle while reckless driving. There were six other criminal property damage arrests and six more for trespassing.
Police reported three arrests for unauthorized control of a vehicle, and seven for unauthorized entry into a vehicle. Two more were for unauthorized entry into a dwelling.
Weapons: Police reported one arrest with two charges on weapons violations for keeping a pistol and ammunition in a place not authorized by permit. There were two arrests for possessing an unloaded firearm.
Miscellaneous: Authorities reported an arrest for hindering the prosecution of a crime, and three arrests for interfering in the reporting of an emergency.
Two people were arrested for making a false report to a law enforcement officer. Three people were arrested for being in a closed park area. There was one arrest for gambling.
Theft: Property crimes are increasingly occurring for cash or items that are sold to feed drug addiction, according to the prosecutor’s office. There were two first-degree burglary arrests last month, along with 18 arrests for theft of property and one arrest for a home break-in, reportedly to steal copper.
There were seven forgery charges, 10 arrests for fraudulent use of credit cards, and three for possession of unauthorized personal information.
Authorities reported one arrest for negotiating a worthless instrument and another for shoplifting.
• Tom LaVenture can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 224) or tlaventure@ thegardenisland.com.
