Reported crimes in Pine Bluff increased slightly in July when compared with June, but not by much.
At a meeting of the city council’s Public Safety Committee on Monday, Interim Police Chief Jeff Hubanks said there was “not a lot of shifting,” and the numbers bore that out, going from 526 total reported crimes in June to 528 in July.
Both aggravated assaults and simple assaults went down in July, as did residential burglaries, while commercial burglaries, thefts and auto thefts showed slight increases.
There were 37 aggravated assaults reported in July, four less than in June, while simple assaults decreased from 167 in June to 139 in July.
According to the monthly statistics, there were 19 commercial burglaries reported in July, six more than for the previous month, and 32 auto thefts compared with 14 reported in June.
Independent reporting for Pine Bluff & Jefferson County since 1879.
Hubanks also provided members of the committee with information from the detective division showing that 54 separate felony cases were sent to the prosecutor’s office last month.
“That’s a lot of cases,” Hubanks said.
The 54 cases involved 60 suspects, and a total of 82 felony crimes, 54 of them violent crimes against people, the remaining 28 property crimes.
The Vice and Narcotics Unit worked 16 cases in July, arresting 15 people and seizing $13,674 worth of drugs, as well as six weapons and two vehicles.
Hubanks said the number of search warrants served by the unit was “down a bit,” possibly indicating a change in the way drugs are being trafficked, with fewer people involved.
Hubanks noted that the department will be pushing harder in an effort to get illegal guns off the street, and said that because of higher bonds set in court for some shooting suspects, the number of drive-by shootings and aggravated assaults had decreased.
He also talked about a gun “buy-back” program he would like to see instituted by the end of this year, if corporate sponsorship can be found.
Alderman George Stepps, a member of the committee wanted to know “What are you going to put in their hands if you take the guns out of their hands?”
Stepps mentioned the possibility of giving people a computer but Hubanks said even with the several ministers who have agreed to support the program, that would not be possible, mentioning instead the idea of giving people who turn in guns a gift card.
“All of us embrace the idea,” Stepps said. “We’re not looking at you doing it alone. We’re willing to work with you to try and make it happen.”
Asked by Alderman Glen Brown what happens to guns that are seized by police, Hubanks said there are two legal outcomes. The first is that the guns are melted down, and the second is that they are sold to a licensed federal firearms dealer.
“We’re going to look to the Mayor’s Office for guidance on which method we are to use,” Hubanks said. “If we melt them down it costs us money and if we sell them it makes us money.”
Committee Chairman Wayne Easterly asked about the recent police activity at an office building in the 1200 block of Cherry Street and Hubanks said that is the new location for the department’s Bicycle Patrol.
“They went 10-8 (on duty) today,” Hubanks said. “It seems like every time there’s a financial crisis the bike patrol is the first to be on the chopping block.
“I started in January trying to figure out how to get them back going and it took seven months but it’s a promise kept,” he said. “It’s a unit that always gets results, the people love it and we’ve got a good crew that wants to make their mark.”
The department has scheduled a press conference for 3:30 p.m.Tuesday at the bike patrol office at 1210 Cherry St., to introduce the new officers, who spent their first day Monday working between 28th and 30th Avenues from Cherry to Hazel Street. After a few days of training, they will break up into two-member teams and work different areas of the city, Hubanks said.
He also announced that the Animal Shelter is now open seven days a week, and will offer adoptions every Saturday.
“That’s going to make it easier and more accessible for people to adopt,” Hubanks said, adding that one dog was adopted last Saturday.
According to a report from Lt. Mike Jenkins, who is in charge of the shelter, there were 16 animals adopted in July, 14 dogs and two cats. Animal Control impounded 59 dogs and 45 cats, and had a total of 120 animals inside kennels at the shelter.