HPD clearance rates above national, state averages

By Staff
Leada Gore, Hartselle Enquirer
Hartselle's Police Department cleared more cases than their counterparts across the nation, according to statistics released recently in the department's annual report.
Statistics show the HPD cleared the majority of the cases they received, beating out the state and national averages in almost every category.
Clearance rates were:
National and state records weren't available for the drug offense, sexual abuse or forgery categories.
HPD fell below the national average in only one category. Hartselle reported 21 aggravated assaults, 43 percent of which were cleared. The national clearance rate is 55 percent. The state clearance rate is 42 percent.
HPD also saw an increase in the number of arrests last year. Total arrests in 2005 were 1,287, up from 1,227 in 2004. This meant higher numbers in the Municipal Jail, also. Some 1,595 inmates passed through the Hartselle City Jail, a 23 percent increase from the previous year.
Officers wrote 2,930 traffic citations and made 85 drunk driving arrests.
The number of calls officers responded to were up, also.
HPD responded to 22,086 calls in 2005, a 17 percent increase from 2004.