Police Department Reports Spike in Third Quarter Crime

The Manassas City Police Department reported increases in violent crime and the number of traffic tickets for the third quarter, according to a report released Monday. 

Despite the three murders in February 2011 in Georgetown South, the violent crime rate is 8-percent lower so far this year when compared to all of 2010. The police department has made strides in beefing up patrols in troubled areas since the murders and that's resulted in more arrests, the police chief said Monday.

The 2011 third quarter statistics show a 5-percent increase in the number of violent crimes, such as murder, rapes and robberies, when compared to the third quarter in 2010. The number of traffic tickets rose 53 percent.

Manassas City Police Chief Doug Keen said the increases could be because the city has increased patrols. There is a 19-percent increase in the number of arrests for the third quarter.

"More patrols mean more arrests," Keen said.

He said the city police department is being more proactive by setting up regular traffic details and increasing patrols in identified city crime "hotspots," such as in Georgetown South where Keen said there have been 881 extra patrols so far this year.

In the Georgetown South area alone, 259 arrests have been made and 655 traffic tickets have been handed out. Sixty-six of the traffic tickets issued so far this year were for driving with out a license. 

The 1-percent increase in officer-initiated calls shows the that the department is being more proactive in increasing patrols, Keen said.

Chief Keen said he is aware that council members and local residents would like to see more bike patrols in certain areas. There are plans to add more patrols in April or May of 2012.

The chief also said this is the first time the police department has been fully staffed in four or five years, and that provides the opportunity to beef up neighborhood patrols.