Statistics from the 2023 calendar year show the City of Carroll’s crime rate remains well below national figures. According to Police Chief Brad Burke, data is classified by the type of interaction, from traffic citations and shoplifting to burglaries and thefts. Burke says nothing really stands out in the 2023 stats.
In 2023, the Carroll Police Department had just over 8,600 calls or interactions. Approximately 43.5 percent of them were traffic citations and warnings. The next most common crime was theft, with 224 reported instances. Fourteen of those were thefts from vehicles, and Burke says they plan to put an added emphasis on them in 2024.
Burke adds it can be difficult for law enforcement to close those cases, but the rising prevalence of video doorbells often helps identify potential suspects. A few years ago, the department started a voluntary registry for homeowners to let police know they have such equipment around their properties. Burke encourages people to get signed up for that if they are interested.
Mental health calls remain a concern for the Carroll Police Department, as the number of interactions rose from just 15 in 2013 to 58 in 2023. While these situations are often resolved, they typically take up a significant amount of time for an officer that could be focused on other law enforcement tasks. Burke notes violent crimes, such as robbery, kidnapping, or felony assaults, are very rare occurrences in Carroll, and he is optimistic that won’t be changing any time soon. Burke made his comments Wednesday morning on KCIM. The full interview is included below.
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