By Eric Stock
BLOOMINGTON – Bloomington Police say crime reports dropped to a 20-year-low in 2017, though there were three homicides last year after there were none in 2016.
The city’s crime report covers violent crimes including homicide, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary and other offenses. The department reports a one-percent drop in crime reports since 2016.
BPD reports sexual assaults rose 70 percent last year, which Police Chief Brendan Heffner attributes the increase to education and the ‘Me Too’ movement for more victims coming forward.
PODCAST: Listen to Susan Saunders’ interview with Heffner on WJBC.
https://soundcloud.com/user-493024408/brendan-heffner-elias-mendiola-bloomington-police-4-10-18
Heffner presented the annual report to the City Council on Monday, adding that new body worn cameras have come in and officers are coming around to the idea.
“We’ve been experimenting with them, and some officers who volunteered were kind of uneasy about it, but they did it,” Heffner said. “Some of them had to be pushed to volunteer, but after they get them, they see the importance of it.”
Heffner said the new West Jefferson Community House has helped his department.
“Overall, it has worked the way we had hoped. We’re still learning,” Heffner said. “It’s still a work in progress, but zero shootings in the area, crime going down. That was the goal.”
Eric Stock can be reached at eric.stock@cumulus.com.
