Violent crimes fall in Cranberry Twp.
The number of violent crimes continues to fall in Cranberry Township, though that didn’t stop police from being busy in 2017.
According to data released by the Cranberry Township Police Department, officers handled 19,207 calls for service last year and 923 total cases — an increase from the 16,987 total calls in 2016, but a decrease in cases from 944. That compares with the 15,170 calls handled in 2013, resulting in 964 cases.
While the number of total calls has increased steadily over the past five years, the type and severity of the cases police are handling has changed. Data show a decrease in Part I crimes, which includes murders, rapes and larceny, from 482 incidents in 2016 to 378 in 2017. The five-year high came in 2014, when officers handled 561 such cases.
In 2017, the majority of those cases — 319 cases — were larcenies.
“Obviously, larceny is our primary thing,” said Sgt. Chuck Mascellino, pointing to the number of businesses in the area.
The 2017 data show two reported rapes, 24 assaults, 20 burglaries, nine vehicle thefts and three robberies. There is also one murder listed, though Mascellino said the incident is actually an attempted shooting that happened on Marshall Road. The township has not seen a murder in more than six years.
“We’re glad of that,” he said.
The increase in overall calls is primarily the result of more Part II crimes, which includes forgery, fraud, DUI and stolen property. Officers handled 1,181 of these calls in 2017, compared to 999 in 2016. Mascellino said the increase can be partially attributed to a national trend in which credit cards are being stolen via cloning devices. In those instances, the victims will still have the cards in their possession and the numbers are stolen electronically.
“We take a report, but in most cases the report is made because the credit card company needs it,” he said, adding there is not much follow-up that can be done by the department.
In total officers made 618 arrests, 83 of which were for DUI. They wrote 2,134 traffic citations, and gave 2,854 warnings. Mascellino said the department employs 28 officers, and hopes to expand to 32.
