Lake Orion Police officers have had a lot more to do this year than last. Crime is up and the police department hasn’t increased in size.
The police department has taken 17 percent more calls this year than last. Calls aren’t the only thing that is going up. The biggest increase in crime is auto theft. This has risen by 600 percent, from one stolen car to seven.
Officer Todd Stanfield said this is because of the growth in population, but he said assuredly the increase in crime isn’t a problem. ‘We can handle it. We have 30 officers on staff.?
Still, these officers are getting busy. Some of the crimes that are going up are those that require increased investigation. Breaking and entering, for example, has gone up 300 percent.
Officers are optimistic though, because despite the great increase in some criminal activities, the crime rate is still low.
The aforementioned breaking and entering increase, for example, was an increase from zero break-ins last year to only three this year.
Sexual assault, another big area of increase, rose from only one last year to five this year.
Stanfield assuaged my inquiry with the fact that when you consider the crime rates of places like Pontiac and Detroit, seven stolen cars this year for the entire small village is a real low number.
In regards to the major felonies, such as murder, there are hardly any of which to speak. No murders have taken place in Lake Orion for years and there was only one kidnapping this year, none last year.
This news is good for many village residents. James Haddrill, has lived in Lake Orion for most of his life. He has never had a run in with the police.
Haddrill recently bought a house and feels very safe. ‘Sure, I know crime is up, because of population growth probably, but I feel very safe,? he said.
Angelica Ross, 49, another village resident, has even smelled the cold breath of crime and doesn’t think she is at risk.
‘Oh, a few years ago,? she said, ‘me and my husband looked out the kitchen window and saw a guy trying to break the lock off our shed.
‘He had his foot up and was trying to kick the door while pulling on the lock. Well, Terry (her husband) took off, barefoot, running full speed at the guy and chased him for a long time.
‘We called the police. They looked for him, but never found him. He was long gone.?
Ross has seen a lot in her home, which is right next to East Lawn Cemetery. ‘Once I was looking out the window and I saw what looked like a bush on fire.
‘We called the police and it turned out someone set a car on fire.?
Even with all she has seen, she feels safe. ‘Oh yeah, I love Lake Orion and I really couldn’t feel more safe here. I read The Lake Orion Review and most of the crime seems to stem from urination on the side of the Wagon Wheel Saloon,? she added.
Crime figures can also be a little misleading. A large percentage of the calls are for ‘police assistance.? Stanfield explained that these were for a lot of different things.
These calls are for when people get locked out of their car. Some are for medical things as well. ‘We have a lot of elderly people and they fall out of bed and can’t get back in and we go help them.? Stanfield added.
None of this is a comfort to new village resident Rex Kikhoff. ‘I feel very unsafe,? he said. ‘There are weird vehicles outside at all times of the night and I don’t know what’s going on. If it doesn’t stop, I’m going to have to call the police.?
For now though, people seem to feel all right, and while crime is up, it’s still very low. Even with the increase in population a lot of crimes are going down.
According to police statistics, there have been 40 percent less warrant arrests this year, 15 percent less burglary alarms going off and there has also been less assaults.
And, as Hadrill said, ‘When I was little, I had a neighbor who was always getting robbed by another neighbor because they had a son who was a delinquent. Their alarm was always going off and that was scary for me when I was young.
‘I’ve been living here for years though and since then, I haven’t had any problems with criminals or the Lake Orion Police.?