Greene County Regional Police see increase in call volume
Greene County Regional Police Department recently released a report on its call volume for 2018 and the first half of this year, showing the department is busier than ever.
Police Chief Zachary Sams said in the report that 2018 more than doubled the 225 calls they had in 2017, when the Greene County Regional department was established.
According to the report, last year the department responded to 542 calls for service, with 118 in Morris Township, 207 in Perry Township and 93 in Wayne Township. The rest of the calls were made in other areas on assists for other law enforcement agencies, according to the report.
In those three townships, which make up the department’s commission, officers made 46 criminal arrests and issued 31 non-traffic citations and 256 traffic citations in 2018, the report states.
Sams said this year is “showing an upward trend as well.”
From January to June this year, they’ve responded to 300 calls, with 62 in Morris Township, 110 in Perry Township, 93 in Wayne Township and 35 in other areas, according to the report. They made 32 criminal arrests, many of them related to drugs, thefts and DUI charges, Sams said. They also issued 14 non-traffic citations and 131 traffic citations.
Sams is the only full-time officer in the department, with about five other part-time officers. He said that although the call volume has increased significantly, their contracts, budgets and amount of hours hasn’t changed.
“We’re having to do more with the same hours and budget,” he said in an interview.
He said that with the increased call volume, they have seen more overtime hours on an as-needed basis, but “nothing unmanageable.” He said the department would like to pursue additional hours with the townships.
“If they want to increase hours, we will,” he said. “And if they don’t, we’ll do our best with what we have.”
Sams said his department wants to maintain transparency and communication with the community by releasing “periodic public updates” like this report.
“Being a part-time department does not mean that we are inefficient or ineffective, but allows the flexibility to serve our communities when, where, and how we are needed the most,” he said in the report.