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Violent crime rises in Casper

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By JOSHUA WOLFSON
Star-Tribune staff writer

Monday, May 5, 2008 2:05 AM MDT

Violent crime rose in Casper last year to its highest level in six years, police statistics show.

The number of murders, rapes, robberies and aggravated assaults in the city all increased in 2007 over the previous year. At the same time, property crime -- burglary, larceny and car theft -- declined.

The total number of "index crimes" -- crimes uniformly tracked by law enforcement agencies for statistical purposes -- held relatively stable last year, but has declined by about 13 percent since 1997.

Casper Police Chief Tom Pagel said part of the rise in the violent crime is connected with alcohol and drug abuse.

"Casper is a hard drinking community and people don't make good decisions when they are drunk," he said.

Total violent crimes, classified as rapes, murders, robberies and aggravated assaults, rose to 153 last year from 130 in 2006. That equates to a one-year increase of 17.7 percent.

The majority of the violence, Pagel said, comes from disputes between intoxicated people, rather than criminal acts committed against strangers.

"Much of the violent crime is assaultive behavior between two or more people who have been drinking," he said. "That's the vast majority. It's not an unknown person."

While violent crime rose in 2007, it's at a lower level than the beginning of the decade, which 173 such crimes were reported.

Property crimes, meanwhile, dropped in Casper for the second consecutive year. Burglaries and car thefts actually rose, but the overall number of property crimes declined because larcenies dropped by about 6 percent.

Pagel suggested two reasons for the drop in property crimes. Casper is a small enough town that the arrest of an active group of burglars can impact the city's overall crime rates. The city's pawn shops are now part of a new national program that allows police to keep track of goods that come into the stores.

Countywide trends mirrored those in Casper. Violent crime rose, albeit slightly, while property crimes declined by more than 8 percent, according to statistics compiled by the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation.

Reach Joshua Wolfson at (307) 266-0582 or at josh.wolfson@trib.com.

Casper crime by the numbers


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Comments to this story.

Dm wrote on May 5, 2008 5:26 AM:

" Go figure! I have said all along if you take care of the little things other more serious things will take care of them selves. Casper PD has got to start inforcing ALL laws, not just random traffic stops and drunk driver stops. The PD should be out there in force every minute of every day looking for those that break the law and dealing with it. Too many people running lights and stop signs, drugs being sold on the streets and drunks driving all over the place yet nothing is done except a weekend drunk driver arrest that caught over 150 in a 2 night patrol. This should say something about what is really going on. I have personally called in complaints that I smell a stong odor of marajuanna coming from a house and waited to see if the PD showed up. 2 hours later not a car in sight. No I'm not blaming the PD just trying to get them off their rears and start doing their jobs that we hired them for! "

DAKOTA wrote on May 5, 2008 6:04 AM:

" I wonder if the boom has anything to do with this? There's a lot of patch trash in town these days. "

Maybe wrote on May 5, 2008 9:44 AM:

" Maybe it's about budget. crime numbers have wasy of turning into budgets and grants. What happened to successful prosecutions? How about the sheriff's department? "

Concerned wrote on May 5, 2008 10:38 AM:

" All things are relavent and well rounding our crime busts is a must and so bigotting against and stereotyping people is obviously not the answer our police are looking for. Blaming a boom or to say that lower income is the issue is basically a cop-out people use to disassociate that their good mid-class neighbor is a saint. We all must encourage correct behavior and not push the police to work miracles. Anything worthwhile takes time. Comparatively our crime is not near as high as much of the rest of the country. Boredom however leads to deviation. "

Excuse me wrote on May 6, 2008 7:58 AM:

" My husband works in the oilfield. I assure you we are far from "trash". Do not blame this on oilfield workers. My husband and I teach our child right from wrong. We do not do drugs or allow them in our presence. We have called the Casper PD to report crimes. Our house was hit with paintballs numerous times. I agree boredom leads to deviation, well said concerned. "

blondie wrote on May 6, 2008 9:19 AM:

" I was just picked up on a bench warrent for not paying an unpaid ticket for expired tags. I am a part of the hard working lawabiding citzens here in caper and feel that our pd and sheriff departments have better things to do (like maybe busting one of the god only knows how many meth lab that are here in our town) instead of wasting there time tring to arrest someone who gives a @#% about this community. "

Whatever wrote on May 6, 2008 2:10 PM:

" Blondie,
If you were lawabiding you would not have had a bench warrant. You would have dealt with your tags before they expired. Shame on you for wasting the police's time having to arrest and book you. "

to excuse me wrote on May 6, 2008 8:00 PM:

" Do not worry about Dakota since the hells angel was jailed and his buisness went under and Dakota has not found a replacement job. But in her case she sees trash everyplace as trash expects all others to be the same so nothing she says is worth the weight of dirt.

Blondie next time get the tags or pay the ticket instead of ignoring it. It is your fault you were picked up not the police. You should have gotten a couple of weeks vacation at the grey bar motel for ignorance.

DM since when is a drunk driver not a serious event. Is it perhaps when one does not kill you. You smelled weed and called it in yet burning tea smells the same what is your expertise and trianing in drug detection personnal experience perhaps. Perhaps the police were at another event such as domestic violence did you review the radio log or patrol reports or are you just carping. "

robn wrote on May 6, 2008 8:16 PM:

" well said "Whatever". My thing is drunk drivers.... seems like the cops are doing their jobs there, but these guys are getting off with a slap on the wrist weather its the 1st or the third. its just sick. the courts aren't doing right.... at leaste i dont think so. "

Murderer on the Loose wrote on May 7, 2008 7:14 AM:

" Michael Lott just admitted in open court that he killed Bruce Tucker. Did you know he is out roaming the streets of Casper waiting on sentencing that should have happened weeks ago. I hope you don't have a daughter at cc, because that is where he hangs out. "

Jackie wrote on May 7, 2008 2:44 PM:

" I think if anything we should be happy that the police force is catching more crimes. My only concern is the new Beacon and I've heard there's talk of another bar opening similar to the Beacon and Sidelines. I would like to encourage the bar owners in Casper to take some responsibility. Granted it is someone's choice if they want to take shot after shot of booze but if these bars are providing all the tequila your heart desires, they're just as responsible. People should stay home and drink if getting totally wasted is the plan. Less bar fights and less drunk driving. But then again, less $$$ for Sunny. "

SSmith wrote on May 7, 2008 2:48 PM:

" I'm certainly glad that the policemen and women of Casper don't follow the advice of these blogs since one day they are being called out for not doing enough to keep us safe, and the next they are being accused of being storm troopers in a police state. No matter how efficient they are, they are going to tick off half the people. Must be what it feels like to be a teacher or a lawyer or a weatherman. "

Good Golly Its Molly wrote on May 9, 2008 10:56 AM:

" Murderer....is right. So robn and whatever...yeah lets just take our sweet time arresting people who forgot to pay a simple tag ticket instead of arresting the people cooking up meth in their basements or murders' walking the streets...good idea....WRONG, WHATEVER you're dumbfounded. =] "

No Kidding wrote on May 9, 2008 5:32 PM:

" Of course it has. Our population has exploded with infuriating leftist liberals. What do you expect? All major US cities, which are chock full of democrats and other enemies of the state are riddled with terrible crime. This is no coincidence. "

profit wrote on May 12, 2008 9:13 AM:

" Kidding, I came from a "liberal" university community and was appalled by the stories of violence in this state. Your philosophy is deeply flawed. "

CasperNative wrote on May 12, 2008 9:55 AM:

" Energy people are creating the violent crimes? Let me see…..
Someone runs a pickup into a herd of antelope then takes pictures of the carnage; he’s a Rock Springs native.
Someone runs over someone in a bar parking lot then drags him under the vehicle, he’s Casper native.
Someone blows through a stop sign, rams another car resulting in one death. A Casper native.
Someone gets tanked, has his two friends drive him to another location, then shoots bullets into a trailer after taking cell phones from other people at gun point. All three are Casper natives.
Someone gets tanked, again, wrecks a car and kills three people. Again, a Casper native.
Vandalism at two of the four high schools over the years, some of which is very costly to us taxpayers. Probably Casper kids.
And law abiding citizens that don’t pay tickets so they get picked up on a bench warrant? What’s wrong with that statement?

I’m not sure we can blame the Transplants for the rise in crime, although I’m sure the “Transplants” contribute to the speeding violations. They are in a big hurry to get where they are going so someone doesn’t shoot them or have a car crash with them. Maybe the increase in crime is all the kids now coming of age that were conceived 20 to 25 years ago during the last bust when those of us who stayed here had no work and stayed at home. Just some random thoughts from articles in the CST.

Perhaps I should change my posting name as well, seems as if Casper Natives aren’t all.....well you draw your own conclusions to that.
"

Hmmmmm wrote on May 13, 2008 3:46 AM:

" I think I'll take the Wyoming Native bumper sticker off after reading the blog from Casper Native. Wyoming is a great state but the idiots are breeding faster than the wolves. "

Chris B wrote on May 13, 2008 7:58 AM:

" The increase in our population due to the energy boom isn't the cause here. I sell auto parts for a living and many of these transient workers buy from me and I find them to be pleasent law-abiding people for the most part. Sure, there are some bad apples in that group but there are just as many in the more "permanent" population of Casper and Wyoming. These patch workers are working to hard to be the main cause of all this crime anyway, they work 10+ hours a day in most cases at a very physically demanding job. The increase in disposable income of the service workers who feed on the energy workers is more likely the cause. "

No Kidding wrote on May 13, 2008 4:22 PM:

" profit; Chicago, NYC, Dallas, Detroit, Seattle, DC, San Diego, Baltimore, Atlanta, Wilmington, etc, etc, etc. All those urban metroplexes are absolutely full of liberal leftists and all full of crime. My logic is EXCELLENT and irrefutable as it is based on facts! You offer no facts only your anecdotal self proclaimed experiences which are like opinions, everyone has one no matter how wrong that may be. Try again socialist! LOL! "

Fernando wrote on May 13, 2008 4:25 PM:

" blondie, You are not a law abiding citizen.

You are in fact a criminal. You were driving on expired tags. You received a ticket. You failed to pay the ticket or show up in court.

You are three times over a criminal.

The laws are for the mutual safety and prosperity of the society.

That means all of us must obey them or face the consequences.

You are a criminal! "

Simple Really wrote on May 13, 2008 4:38 PM:

" Rats in a Skinner box, that is what this experiment is all about.

To many people growing the population and the amount of space remains the same.

To many competing agendas and requirements for to few resources.

Humans, being a competitive animal, we'll fight each other at the drop of a hat to get our way or what we see as our share.

Add in social engineering by various groups that try to dictate how we will all live, and the inevitable conclusion is violence.

The solution? Reduce the population. Move back to California or where ever...just leave, and don't ever come back. "

DAKOTA wrote on May 14, 2008 5:37 AM:

" Hey Casper Native, you'd better check your facts. Ain't a one of those guys you listed was born and raised in Casper. Not one. Just because the CST lists them as being from Casper doesn't make them a native. And every single one of them, except the woman, works in the energy industry. And the woman was all wasted hanging out getting more wasted with energy industry transplants. Your deductive powers must have been acquired growing up in Casper during the bust. Why don't you tell us where all the fine citizens getting busted for DUI and drugs every week moved here from, where they work, or better yet, where their drug customers work? One thing for sure, when energy prices took off it wasn't no saints who came marching in to Wyoming. "

profit wrote on May 14, 2008 8:23 AM:

" Dakota, where did these people raised, if not Casper? Just saying it doesn't make it so. Share your knowledge, not just your opinion. "

Ethics wrote on May 14, 2008 10:49 AM:

" Social pressures due to a growing population competing for limited resources will affect natives and immigrant to Wyoming (and everywhere else too) in equal measures. Unethical people will try to get what they can, as and when they can by any means available to them when they feel that their share of the pie is being taken by others. The unethical will also make mistakes succumbing to social pressures. Ethical people will not change their standards during hard times, or times that politicians and the media has work hard to convince us all are hard. Use your head and not your heart. Judge the times for yourself as you find them to really be, not as you are told that they are by others with agendas, and do not sacrifice your personal standards of conduct just because others do so. Rise above the fray and act like an American citizen. Whining to convince yourself that the rules of conduct do not apply to you only makes you part of the greater problem and you will have to live with those poor decisions and the actions that flow from them. You're better than that, aren't you?

"

hmmmmm wrote on May 14, 2008 5:10 PM:

" Perhaps they worked for the HAMC main buisness like dakota, Git a new job yet dakota or wy gal or rainbow or what ever name you go by today. "

CasperNative wrote on May 16, 2008 3:26 AM:

" Well, it looks like I have received the wrath of people again. When I’m wrong, I can admit I’m wrong, however there are at least two instances mentioned in my post above where it appears very strongly I am correct. As for the person who ran over and dragged another, here are some posts from that blog from relatives and classmates who obviously know more about the people involved than I do: “The driver is from Casper and grew up in Casper” and “The driver is a NCHS graduate”. If at least one of these statements doesn’t make him a Casper Native or very close to it, then I really don’t know what else does.
As for the guy and his friends that shot up the trailer, here is a comment from another on that: “ All three are Home-grown kids”. This is followed by another comment from someone on these blogs “Oh that's even better, homegrown kids that think they're gangsters getting all liquored up and bustin’ caps”. Anyone posting here recognize that last statement? Granted, these are not the entire blog statements, there are too many of them and they are too long to place here. Granted, their occupations are not listed and I don’t really care about that. I won’t get into my “Deductive Powers” as they were formed before the last bust. I also cannot tell you where the fine citizens getting busted for drugs and DWI’s come from, but it sure seems to me that these are not problems limited to the Import citizenship. DWI’s and drugs were a problem 50, 40, 30, 20 and 10 years ago as well. Casper Natives and implants are both contributing to the problems. As for no Saints marching in? I have met some very nice implants to Casper and Wyoming during my life and I hope that the rest of you will meet some as well. Give someone a chance, you might be surprised. Perhaps we should look into our own backyard first, there are plenty of Non-Saint natives around as well.

I don’t post on these blogs to be insensitive or insulting to others, and I think that’s only fair. I post here to express my opinions, as I’m sure others do as well.
"

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