Police annual data shows increase in drug cases, investigative caseload

The Bella Vista Police Department released a compilation of data detailing the department’s work in 2019, including an increase in drug incidents as well as a large increase in the criminal investigative division’s caseload.

Police Chief James Graves said he’s proud of the department’s performance over the past year, noting the National Council for Home Safety ranked Bella Vista the safest city in Arkansas for the second year in a row and 75th nationwide.

The department’s report shows a very large increase in the CID caseload, which numbered 604 for 2019, up from 362 in 2018. This represents a 67% increase. The number for 2018 was also significantly higher than for 2017, which saw 315 cases assigned to CID.

Graves said that this is largely reflective of the addition of CID Lt. Byron Stival, who has helped better organize the division.

It also indicates that some lower-priority cases are getting the attention they deserve, he said, thanks to the division’s recent staffing increases as well as new equipment, like the department’s crime scene investigation truck, that makes investigators more efficient.

“Our goal is to investigate all of the crimes we can possibly investigate,” he said.

This increase in caseload also helped justify the need for two additional detective positions that Graves said he was grateful the city council approved during the municipal budget process.

According to the department’s report, drug incidents rose from 176 in 2018 to 212 in 2019, roughly a 20% increase. It’s also worth noting that drug incidents in 2018 were significantly higher than in previous years, with the department reporting 74 in 2014, 85 in 2015, 124 in 2016 and 109 in 2017.

Graves said this upward trend isn’t necessarily indicative of an increase in activity but does reflect an increase in enforcement, including the introduction of a narcotics officer position that has allowed the department to make more contacts, investigate more activity and obtain more search warrants related to drug activity.

More proactive enforcement may create the appearance of increased activity, he said.

“We’re active out there pursuing it,” he said. “It’s always been there.”

On the whole, call volume remained fairly close to last year, with a total of 21,252 calls for service. Violent crime remained low and property crime saw a small increase, he said.

The majority of property crime increase was a result of breaking-and-entering incidents, roughly half of which were unlocked cars, he said. Graves encouraged residents to lock their car doors because, while the city remains fairly safe, an unlocked car is more likely to be targeted.

Graves said he’s also proud to see that, of 7,247 traffic contacts, the department only issued citations in 1,351 cases, roughly 19%.

“We’re not here to write tickets, we’re here to change behavior,” he said.

Last year, the department also got its second K9 unit, Huk, assigned to officer Jarrod Tapper. This was not budgeted and was covered entirely by donations after officers realized the need, Graves said.

Dispatch also saw some upgrades to improve efficiency, he said, though it has been difficult to keep the dispatch office fully staffed.

Hiring dispatchers has been difficult nationwide, and Northwest Arkansas has a particularly competitive job market, he said.

Despite that, he said he believes the department has done better than most and benefitted from a more comfortable work environment, despite having difficulty keeping up with other nearby municipalities’ pay grades.

The department has also made adjustments to its pay scale to be a bit more competitive, he said.

Aside from planning for a new public safety complex that Graves said he hopes voters have approved, the department is also working to integrate a mobile dispatch software.

All squad cars currently have computers onboard, he said, and an upgrade planned for this year will allow them to receive some dispatch instructions via computer screen rather than over the radio — though it’s worth noting priority calls will continue to go over the airwaves, Graves said.

It’s similar to software the fire department is using, he said, and the primary benefit will be a reduction in radio traffic to keep the airwaves clear for higher priority calls.

It will also allow officers to spend more time in the field. Paperwork can be done in the squad car, reducing trips back to the station to fill out and file information.