Producing an annual overview of the year end statistics for the Hockley County Sheriffs Department, Sheriff Ray Scifres put together a 2022 year end report.
The department received 5,951 calls of service compared to 2021 where they received 5,985. Both years have been a considerable increase compared to 2020 where the department received 5,009 calls and 5,057 in 2019.
In regard to total responses, the department had 9,597, which was a slight increase from 2021 with 9,588. Both years are higher than 2019 and 2020 as each year totaled roughly 7,800.
Calls were also broken down into categories such as accidents and crashes, burglary of all types, disturbances and fights, theft, traffic complaints and reckless driving, suspicious circumstances and welfare checks.
Scifres explained that the categories offered does not total all the call types, but is the more common call types the department received over the course of the year.
For 2022, there had been 209 calls regarding accidents or crashes. It is a slight from 2021 with 250 and the year prior with 230 calls regarding accidents or crashes.
The report shows the county received 109 calls regarding burglary which was an increase from 2021 with 70 calls.
The department received 379 calls in regards to disturbances or fights which was higher than 2021 with 324 calls for the same category.
For traffic complaints or reckless driving, the department had 383 calls which is slightly lower than 2021 with 439 calls, 2020 with 419 and 2019 with 408.
There were 289 calls regarding suspicious circumstances which is slightly higher than 2021 with 275.
The department received 243 calls dealing with a welfare check which was a significant increase compared to 2021 with 171.
Offering percentages associated with a few of the mentioned categories, assault offenses for the sheriff’s office was down 8.16 percent while all county agencies reporting showed a 7.61 percent decrease. Both percentages from the sheriff’s office alone and all agencies in the county reporting are changes from 2021.
All types of burglary for the sheriff’s office increased 41.67 percent, while all agencies together reported a 24.30 percent increase. Larceny or theft offenses were reported with a 78.05 percent increase and a 20 percent increase among all agencies. Motor vehicle theft saw a 200 percent increase among the sheriff’s office and a 31.43 percent increase of all agencies.
Scifres explained that the percentages dealing with theft, burglaries and motor vehicle theft saw increase but addressing those numbers was one of the top priorities for investigators in the department.
Dozens arrests and recovers were made toward the end of the year as investigators were able to link multiple cases to each other.
Once those were made, criminal activity regarding those categories slowed down heavily.
Assaults within the county decreasing was a positive sign for the department which allowed Scifres and his department to shift focused to the increasing theft activity.
Offenses against all persons were down 11.32 percent for the department and were also down 11,30 percent for all agencies reporting. Offenses against all property were up 77.78 percent for the sheriff’s department and 16.98 percent for all agencies. Offenses against all society were reported as a decrease of 8.70 percent, but an increase of 9.30 was shown for all agencies.