Chief of Police Patrick Gurcsik attributes the 4 percent decrease to expansion of community outreach initiatives
According to the recently released state police Uniform Crime Report statistics for 2017, Washington Township reported a decrease in overall crime by almost 4 percent compared to 2016. The report suggested some of the most significant decreases included cases of burglary and theft, a shift Chief of Police Patrick Gurcsik believes was a result of community policing efforts prioritized during his first year in the position.
“While earning and maintaining the trust of our community was a focus, I believe our community’s low crime rate is one of the many reasons why Washington Township is a desirable place to live,” Gurcsik said.
According to Gurcsik, last year, officers responded to 581 domestic violence calls, 2,358 motor vehicle crashes, investigated four fatal motor vehicle crashes, one homicide and made a total of 1,985 arrests. In addition, he said, there were almost 50,000 calls for service.
According to the UCR, Washington Township’s crime went down from 1,239 incidents in 2016 to 1,195 in 2017. More specifically, the report showed a 21 percent decrease in burglary from 176 cases in 2016 to 139 in 2017, as well as almost 30 percent fewer reports of motor vehicle theft, from 34 in 2016 to 24 in 2017. Larceny was also down by 8 percent, with a total of 601 reports in 2017, down from 655 in 2016.
According to Gurcsik, the decline in burglary and theft reports was a “direct result of crime mapping,” which allowed the department to identify “hot spots” — areas known for criminal activity. At the directive of the department’s commanding officers, Gurcsik said, additional patrols were assigned to these specific areas to combat crime.
Gurcsik also said with a goal of having 75 percent of police personnel assigned to the patrol bureau, the department has applied for grant funding to hire additional police officers in 2018, with all new hires to be assigned to the patrol bureau. Gurcsik said he plans to construct a proposal for Mayor Joann Gattinelli and the council to ensure the Washington Township Police Department will have sufficient staffing to meet the public safety needs of the community.
While the township saw an overall decrease in crime, the UCR showed an increase in various offenses, such as simple assault, which went up 16 percent with 321 cases in 2016 and 373 in 2017. According to Gurcsik, to counter these crimes in 2018, the department will continue to be proactive in engaging with residents in multiple outreach efforts and by identifying issues before they escalate.
Gurcsik said residents can assist in preventing these crimes by making sure doors and windows to their home are locked at all times. Having a home that is well lit, inside and out, also deters criminals from wanting to break into homes, he said. Gurcsik also encourages the community to report suspicious activity immediately to the police department.
“Our detective bureau has one of the highest crime clearance rates in Gloucester County,” Gurcsik said. “It is my hope that once I am able to hire and train new officers, there will be an even greater police presence within our community.”
In 2018, the department will be adopting a station-wide strategy emphasizing “service, partnership and crime prevention” with the goal of gaining greater community involvement and to continue preventing these crimes.
“Our goal will continue to be to provide services, security, safety and enforcement throughout the Township of Washington,” Gurcsik said. “We are community caretakers, and I take our responsibility to our community seriously.”
Community outreach programs implemented in 2017 will continue in 2018, Gurcsik said, such as Coffee with a Cop, Cops and Bobbers, Cool Off with a Cop and the department’s youth police summer camp and citizen’s police academy. Additionally, engaging the local youth with positive police experiences will be a priority this year, with plans to enact a Police Athletic League, as well as new programs such as Sundaes with a Cop and Storytime with a Cop at the Margaret E. Heggan Free Public Library.
“I want our officers building relationships within our community that will last for years to come,” Gurcsik said. “It requires officers to get out of their police cars and interact with the public, not just when an emergency occurs. Safe neighborhoods give incentives to residents to invest in the community and believe in our community initiatives.”
For more information on the Washington Township Police Department, and to stay up-to-date on upcoming community-policing events and initiatives, visit www.washingtontwppolice.org. The department is also active on social media sites, such as Facebook and Twitter.
