Port Arthur Police Chief Tim Duriso hasn’t been with the city long enough to have elicited positive change in the city’s crime statistics but he is working toward it.

Duriso, who assumed his position in September 2018, revealed these 2016-2018 crime stats:

 

Homicide

2016 — 5

2017 — 6

2018 — 13 (with one manslaughter)

 

Rape

2016 — 18

2017 — 15

2018 — 20

 

Robbery

2016 — 105

2017 — 110

2018 — 96

 

Aggravated assault

2016 —234

2017 —247

2018 — 262

 

Burglary

2016 — 580

2017 — 767

2018 — 504

 

Motor vehicle theft

2016 —126

2017 — 153

2018 — 134

 

Burglary numbers have dropped from a high of 767 in 2017 to 504 in 2018. Duriso said that the drop could be because those accused or convicted criminals involved are locked up.

The theory has been tossed around previously by other law enforcement sources that an individual or group of individuals commit a number of crimes and when they are behind bars, those crimes drop.

Motor vehicle theft varied from 126 in 2016 to 153 in 2017 to 134 in 2018. The recent drop, he said, could be because people are listening to law enforcement and locking their cars and taking their keys.

“And in some situations the vehicles are more difficult to steal,” Duriso said.

 

What’s new

Since Duriso has been at the helm there has been an increase in staffing to the narcotics unit, the department has a mental health officer and are doing more community events, thus bridging the gap between the police and the citizens.

“There has been a transition within our department to areas of expertise,” he said.

Port Arthur Police Department has recently added some officers to the K9 Unit, are updating computers in cars and providing radar training for officers.

The department is also in the process of creating a unit to focus on gun trafficking.

“It’s not a big problem. We don’t want it to be a big problem, we want to keep it under control and move the guns out of the hands of felons and those people who re committing violent acts,” he said.

PAPD is also working in partnership with federal agencies.

 

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