Carnegie police increased patrols in 2018, calls for service up 12 percent

Carnegie police officers ramped up foot patrols in 2018 in what Chief Joe Kennedy called a proactive approach to policing. The number of officer-initiated calls for business, school and welfare checks rose to approximately 3,700 in 2018, according to service call records, up 41 percent from 2017.

Kennedy said, for example, that the department began patrolling Carlynton School District buildings twice a day in 2018 in response to national concerns over school safety.

“We don’t have any immediate threats,” he said, “but because it’s a national problem, we’ve increased our visibility in the schools.”

Patrol actions brought the total number of reported incidents in the borough to 10,231, up 1,161 or 12.8 percent from the previous year. The department reported a little more than 9,000 in 2017.

Patrol actions made up the lion’s share of service calls at 36.32 percent of all calls. Traffic incidents — such as accidents and traffic stops — numbered 2,484, making up 24.38 percent.

Traffic actions increased in 2018 by 9.29 percent.

Fraud, Kennedy said, continues to be cause for concern among local law enforcement agencies. Seventy-five instances were reported in the borough in 2018, records show, 24 more than in 2017.

Kennedy also said his department has noticed an increase in the number of thefts from unlocked vehicles, which went from 23 in 2017 to 31 in 2018. Kennedy noted that no vehicles were forcibly broken into.

Police recorded 124 total instances of theft in 2018 and 12 instances of motor vehicle theft. Only two robberies were recorded, down from eight in 2017.

A reported 39 assaults occurred within the borough, 14 more than in 2017. Domestic incidents rose slightly from 197 to 215.

Harassment decreased in 2018 from 115 to 86. Reports of harassment by communication, meanwhile, rose from 43 to 52.

Matthew Guerry is a
Tribune-Review contributor.