Scott County Sheriff Releases

 "The State of Scott County and Criminal Case Statistics"

(The Community Oriented Policing Plan is Working Leading to Another Positive Award for Scott County)

Scott County-Scott County Sheriff Jerry Goodin recently released the Criminal Case Statistics for 2021 and comparisons of prior year averages. Sheriff Goodin told Deputies, Jail Deputies, and support staff during a department meeting the following... "I could not be prouder of you all than I am at this moment...the impact of your hard work has directly improved the quality of life for our citizens.  The Sheriff's Office and the community working together is making Scott County the safest place to live in America and others are noticing as the sheriff referred to the recent safe community achievement award the sheriff's office received from the Kentuckiana Crime Stoppers".

As you view the stats below, you will see a direct correlation between the increased number of narcotic investigations and the subsequent lower number of other criminal investigations.  This comparison, the increase in narcotic investigations and the decrease in other crimes validates the strategic plan of the Sheriff's Office. A primary mission of the Sheriff's Office is to aggressively eradicate drug dealers from our community, making Scott County the safest county to live in America.

As a reminder, the below totals are not the total number of actual arrests.  Total arrests are listed in a separate category following investigations statistics. The 2021 numbers are listed below by category with the prior year's investigations average following in parenthesis.  Furthermore, these statistics are for the Scott County Sheriff's Office only, with the Austin City Police and the Scottsburg City Police keeping their own individual stats as in previous years.

The following are the Scott County Sheriff's Office Criminal Case statistics for 2021 compared to the average of previous years.

• Narcotic Investigations: 2021 Investigations = 106 (2015 - 2018 average = 50.25 Investigations / 2019-2020 average = 119 Investigations), 126% Increase.
• Burglary Investigations: 2021 Investigations = 6, (prior 6-year average = 28 Investigations), 78% Decrease.
• Theft Investigations: 2021 Investigations = 124, (prior 6-year average = 258 Investigations), 47% Decrease.
• Weapon Violation Investigations: 2021 Investigations = 3, (prior 6-year average = 8 Investigations), 62% Decrease.
• Homicide/Murder Investigations: 2021 Investigations = 0, (Sheriff's Office has not worked any since I have been in office.)
• Battery and Domestic Violence Investigations: 2021 Investigations = 38, (prior 6-year average = 87 Investigations), 40% Decrease.
• Rape/Sex Crime Investigations: 2021 Investigations = 2, (prior 6-year average = 15 Investigations), 86% Decrease.

2021 Total Arrest = 579, (2019 Total Arrest = 1521 / 2020 Total Arrest = 964).  This statistic reveals the lower recidivism rate i.e., "shutting the revolving door" is encouraging, concentrating on the reduction of reoffending and subsequent incarceration.

Total Calls for Service: 2021 Calls for Service: 15,736, (2019 Calls for Service: 14,305 / 2020 Calls for Service: 14,724). The yearly increase in calls for service (as reflected) drives home the thought that citizens trust the Sheriff's Office to listen, react, and resolve their issue...whatever it may be. 

In closing, Sheriff Goodin stated the following... "The stats are very-very encouraging...they are a direct result of the increased hard work of the Deputies, Jail Staff, Addiction Rehab Services Partners, the Scott County Judicial System, and the fine Citizens of Scott County.  While other's crime rates are dramatically increasing, Scott Counties are decreasing dramatically.  Scott County is the perfect model of what Community Oriented Policing is intended to be". "Although, we must keep in mind that each of these numbers represent a victim so obviously, we will not be happy until the number of victim's is zero and this has to be our goal".

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Dawson