Property Crime in Shrewsbury Drops 43 Percent in 6 Years

When Shrewsbury police investigators questioned a man they thought might have committed a crime, he replied, “I wouldn’t go through your town. I got stopped last week just walking down the street at 2 a.m.”

Lt. Brian Catlett of the Shrewsbury Police Department said that’s one reason crime has dropped dramatically in the city over the past 10 years.

“I think being a small agency, our officers are so in touch with what goes on,” Catlett said. “In a bigger city, an officer might be on a particular beat for a couple of weeks. With us, our officers are here all the time, morning, noon and night. They know who is supposed to be where and when.”

Property crime in Shrewsbury has dropped nearly 43 percent since 2005, according to statistics recently released in the FBI’s 2011 Uniform Crime Report.

The FBI began reporting on towns with less than 10,000 population in 2005. Since then, violent crime has had little variation, remaining in single digits .

 FBI Uniform Crime Report

City

Pop.

Violent Crime

Per 1,000*

Property Crime

Per 1,000*

Shrewsbury

2011

6,277

8

1.27

77

12.27

2010

6,150

2

0.33

112

18.21

2007

6,290

6

0.95

122

19.40

2005

6,510

3

0.46

134

20.58

Source: FBI Uniform Crime Report  *Number of violent or property crimes per 1,000 people.

Catlett said there are several other factors, including strong support from the mayor and aldermen, who ensure the department has needed tools and equipment. They also support efforts to remain accredited by CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement), ensuring the department remains up to date on best practices, training and equipment, Catlett said.

He said each crime gets thoroughly processed and is followed up with thorough investigation.

“We also have a middle class community that’s very supportive of police,” Catlett said. “The familiarity with neighbors helps quite a bit.”

Openness with the community helps, too, Catlett said. He pointed out Shrewsbury Police provides crime reports to Patch every week to help keep people informed on what goes on in the neighborhood.

Catlett acknowledges there’s another less desirable reason for the crime rate drop. Several businesses along the Watson Road corridor have closed due to the tough economic conditions since 2007, he said.

“We have a lot of thriving stores, restaurants and shops, too,” he said.

But with fewer stores comes a drop in shoplifting, thefts and other crimes, Catlett said.

“Yeah, those things happen, but every town needs strong businesses. It’s the lifeblood of a community,” he said. “Those stores help pay the bills for the community. ”

Catlett warns that although crime in Shrewsbury is low, it still happens. Especially with the holidays approaching, residents should lock their cars, keep valuables indoors or at least keep them out of sight.

“Occasionally we have a few bad apples, but that’s why we’re here, to weed them out,” Catlett said.

For more crime information on Affton-Shrewsbury Patch, see the following articles:

• Home Burglary Reported on Sutherland Avenue in Shrewsbury
• Top 14 Crime Stories: Affton-Shrewsbury October 2012