The Coeur d’Alene Police Department Crime Analysis Division provides end of year stats on our website at www.cdapolice.org. These statistics reflect an overall decrease in serious crime within the City of Coeur d’Alene. However certain types of crime have increased. In 2009 calls for service remained near the same number of calls for 2008 at 39,543.Many categories of crime decreased significantly in 2009. Coeur d’Alene continues to be a safe community with active neighborhood watch groups. People crime such as rape, sex offenses, and assaults decreased in 2009. Overall Drug arrests also decreased. DUI arrests have decreased 21% in 2008 from 658 to 518 in 2009.
In 2008, 948 vehicle accidents were reported. That number dropped by 22% to 737 in 2009. Chief Longo believes the continued effort of education and enforcement by our traffic team played a role in the decrease as evident in his statement of “The Coeur d’Alene Police Department remains committed to our goal of zero traffic fatalities in our city. To achieve this it requires a combined effort of education and enforcement. We utilize highway safety grants to schedule emphasis patrols in the high crash areas of the city’s road ways and highways. Emphasis patrols are always in partnership with Kootenai County Sheriffs Department and the Idaho State Police to insure high visibility enforcement efforts”.
Increased areas of crime included robberies that increased from 19 in 2008 to 27 in 2009. These robberies included banks, pharmacies, and latte stands, as well as personal attacks. Property crime increased in several areas. Vehicle theft rose from 62 in 2008 to 85 in 2009. Larceny rose from 936 in 2008 to 1296 in 2009 and Forgery/Fraud rose from 225 in 2008 to 265 in 2009.
Chief Longo shared his thoughts of crime trends for 2009 in his statement of “Over the past year the Kootenai County area and the City of Coeur d’Alene experienced a number of armed robberies targeting pharmacies and retail businesses. Several arrests were made through the combined efforts of area law enforcement agencies. Our pro-active approach in scheduling prescription medication turn in is on-going and we hope is reducing some of those medications from being diverted to illegal use and sale. To counter this and other crime issues the department has utilized has emphasized a combined law enforcement effort with our partners as well as the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force to target those suspects that are frequently targeting our citizens”.
The Police Department has also been proactive in the distribution of informational brochures also available on our web site, as well as presentations to various groups to emphasize personal and business safety.
Chief Longo recently adopted crimereports.com to our website to enable citizens to research crime occurrences in their neighborhood. This is a useful tool in combating crime through awareness.
To report a crime contact Coeur d’Alene Police at 769-2320, the Tip Line at 769-2296 or visit our email policetips@cdaid.org
Additional information on our website includes year to year calls for service charts and our 2009 Annual Report that provides an overview of police activities.
For more information: Sergeant Christie Wood, Public Information Officer, Coeur d’Alene Police Department, 769-2320.
