Crime calls are down across county. But why?

New emergency call data indicate that reports of crimes in Jefferson County are going down — across categories, and in some cases by a lot. The question is, why?

Data compiled by the county’s Department of Emergency Services show that calls for service to the Sheriff’s Office in 2024 declined in multiple areas. Reports of assault dropped to 37 from 51 the year before and a high of 125 in 2016. Calls related to domestic disputes declined by nearly one-half, to 80 from 142. And reports of larcenies or thefts fell to 124, from 143 a year earlier and as many as 238 in 2018.

Those numbers are also well below the county’s 10-year averages. Assaults have averaged 77 per year since 2014, domestic disputes 116 calls, and larceny/theft calls about 177 police reports over the past decade.