Wednesday, July 18, 2001
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Wednesday, July 18, 2001 |
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F'ville cops handcuffed in fighting crime? By JOHN MUNFORD
A dramatic carjacking last week at the Fayette Pavilion Wal-Mart gave rise to speculation about whether crime is on the increase in local retail areas, and whether police are being given the resources to keep up. But while last week's incident was dramatic, it's not very representative of the crimes typically committed at the massive retail center, according to police. Most of the crimes reported at the Pavilion are far more tame, ranging from theft and shoplifting to entering auto complaints, said Lt. Tom Kirkbride of the Fayetteville Police Department. Although the Pavilion is on a patrol beat for Fayetteville officers, no one officer is assigned solely to patrol there, Kirkbride said. That's because the department doesn't want to cut back on its commitment to serve all the citizens of Fayetteville, Kirkbride said. Officers do check the Pavilion on a regular basis, he added. "With the number of officers we have, we make good, educated decisions to allocate personnel based on statistical data and crime trends," Kirkbride said. For example, in December the department focused on the Pavilion and caught several shoplifters in felony cases before stores became aware of the offenses, Kirkbride said. The department used uniformed and plainclothes officers in the operation, a tactic that's used occasionally when a series of similar incidents recur such as auto thefts, Kirkbride said. Officials at the Fayette County Sheriff's Department have noticed a drop-off in crime at the Pavilion recently, said Maj. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff's Department. Though most of the Pavilion is in Fayetteville's jurisdiction, some stores there are in the county, Jordan noted. "There has been substantially less going on there this summer as opposed to last summer," Jordan said. At its maximum staffing level, the Police Department deploys between four and eight officers a shift including patrol officer, K-9 officers, traffic officers and detectives, Kirkbride noted. "They can't be everywhere," Kirkbride said. "We will not be able to stop crime. We can only deter crime and the criminal element from entering our community." A Fayetteville officer happened to be nearby as the recent carjacking incident unfolded. The officer pursued the vehicle on the belief that the driver was intoxicated, Kirkbride said. The officer had been checking storefronts in the area when he heard tires squealing and headed in the direction of the sound, Kirkbride added. The officer didn't discover the vehicle was involved in a carjacking until after the suspect wrecked the vehicle moments later. When the Pavilion opened, the department added three new police officers paid for by impact fees assessed on the development, confirmed Fayetteville City Manager Joe Morton. Those officers shouldn't be assigned solely to the Pavilion just because the money for those positions came from that development, Kirkbride said. Anytime Fayetteville grows, crime is bound to increase, he added. "It's not Wal-Mart's fault or Home Depot's fault," Kirkbride said. "It's not anybody's fault." The Sheriff's Department has a daytime and early-evening bike patrol covering the entire Pavilion this summer, Jordan said. In the late evening and early morning hours, the Pavilion is part of a "fairly large" patrol zone, he added. "We have not had an entering auto case on our side of the Pavilion since the bike patrol started," Jordan said. That area includes the newer stores such as Belk, Dekor and Kohls, he said. "We patrol the whole Pavilion because we want to see the citizens get their share of county services," Jordan noted. The best way to prevent crime is for persons to remain vigilant about their surroundings and protect their property, Kirkbride said. It's also important for citizens to report crimes, he noted. "You have to be aware of your surroundings," Kirkbride said. "If not, there's a good chance you will become a victim."
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