The Mandan Police Department has just released its annual report for the year 2021, reflecting on its successes in both decreasing the number of crimes, working with the community, and training its officers to properly enforce the law and handle difficult situations.
“The officers of the Mandan Police Department will continue to work with all of our law enforcement partners and will provide equal support to them,” says Chief Jason Ziegler. ” It is our mission to be as transparent as possible and to provide our citizens with as much information as we can.”
The following is a write-up of the important crime statistics outlined in the 2021 Annual Report.
Calls for Service
- While the four-year average is 14,940 calls per year, last year’s data was slightly higher than the standard, with 15,178 calls for service recorded.
- The months with the highest number of calls for service are May through October. In 2021, officers responded to 7% more calls for service than in 2020 over the same time period. During the other months, 2021 calls for service were up 3%.
- July was the month with the most calls for service, with February being the month with the least.
- The data shows that on average, calls for service occur more often in the summer months than in the winter months.
Group A Offenses
Offenses are reported and calculated using the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which works to collect data about all reported incidents, including the nature and type of offense, characteristics of victims, types, and value of any property involved, and characteristics of persons arrested in connection with the crime. (More information on NIBRS is available here)
When used by the NIBRS, Group A Offenses are used to report all incidents committed within a law enforcement agency’s jurisdiction. According to data collected by the department, the total number of Group A Offenses has decreased by 1% from 2020 to 2021. There are six major areas classified as Group A Offenses that have displayed significant changes within the city during 2021 when compared to 2020. Of these, three have shown increases and three have shown decreases. Below is a breakdown of what these offenses are, as well as the changes they have experienced:
- Assault Offenses: Reported assault cases were up 13% from 2020-2021, and up 9% over the total three-year average. This number does not include domestic violence offenses. The cause for this increase is believed to be due to more frequent eyewitnesses, population growth, and reporting of incidents.
- Burglary Offenses: Reported burglaries decreased 20% from 2020-2021, and down 5% compared to the total three-year average. This category includes storage break-ins and any unlawful entry with the intent to commit a crime within the structure. With burglaries being an indicator of other crimes, affiliated offenses were also down. Illegal drug violations, affiliated with burglary, decreased by 10% as well when compared to 2020.
- Drug/Narcotic Offenses: Narcotic drugs are described as any substance (produced directly or indirectly) by extraction from substances of vegetable origin or chemical synthesis, including Marijuana and Opiates. Drug cases in 2021 decreased by 10% when compared to 2020, and 5% when compared to the three-year average. More information on Drug and Narcotic offenses can be found in the Special Operations section of the complete report.
- Fraud: Fraud is usually defined to include not only con games and swindles but anything that involves offenders receiving a benefit or victims incurring a detriment. A massive 36% decrease in reported fraud cases was identified in 2021, and an 8% overall decrease in the three-year average. The department believes this is due to the public becoming more aware of fraud schemes, as well as financial institutions becoming more aggressive in countering them.
- Theft: Theft is defined as when an individual takes or exercises unauthorized control over, or makes an unauthorized transfer of the property of another, with the intent to deprive the owner of use of it via deception or threat. Reports indicate that the city of Mandan has experienced a 2% rise in theft cases from 2020, and 9% over the three-year average. Theft trends tend to increase in correlation with drug offenses and poor economic conditions.
- Motor Vehicle Theft: Specific thefts relating to motor vehicles have reported a decrease of 15% in 2021 from the previous year and decreased by 5% when compared to the three-year average.
Group B Offenses
Group B offenses are tracked as all reports made that include arrest. When multiple charges exist, whichever charge holds the highest violation is tracked by the State. Overall, Group B offenses — including DUIs and Tresspassing — have experienced a tremendous increase of 53% overall when compared to 2020. Here are the four largest changes in statistics regarding Group B Offenses:
- Family Offenses Non-Violent: Offenses categorized under this section are any unlawful, nonviolent acts that would threaten the physical, mental, or economic well-being of another family member that are not classifiable as other offenses. Examples of this include desertion, neglect, nonsupport, and nonviolent abuse. It also includes the refusal to pay alimony. Reported Family Offenses Non-Violent last year were reported to have increased by 115% when compared to 2021.
- Liquor Law Violations: Liquor Law Violations include violations of laws prohibiting the manufacture, sale, purchase, transportation, or use of alcoholic beverages. Liquor Law Violations increased a massive 660% in 2021 when compared to 2020.
- Driving Under the Influence: The lawful definition of a DUI, according to the NIBRS, Driving and operating when impaired as the result of consuming alcohol, drugs, or narcotics. DUIs in 2021 were shown to have decreased by 5% when compared to 2020 reported incidents. Contributing factors to a decline in DUIs may include a greater sense of responsibility when drinking as well as an increase in shared rides.
- Trespassing on Real Property: Trespassing is formally defined as unlawfully entering a land, dwelling, or other real property, and for a charge of trespassing to apply, the property owner must not only call the police but express a desire to prosecute. Trespassing charges were reported to have increased by 239% when compared to 2020.
Other Offenses
All crimes that are not Group A offenses and not included in Group B crime categories are labeled as Other Offenses in the report. Most items in the Other Offenses category showed increases in offenses, with the largest increases being in Child Neglect and Abuse and Court Order Violations. In total, Other Offenses reported and investigated increased by 19% from 2020 to 2021.
Traffic Enforcement
While decreases in reckless driving and DUIs have been noted, gains in every other category were also reported, including a 125% increase in drivers noted to run stop signs and red lights.
State Reportable Crash Reports, which are defined as having property damage in excess of $4,000, injury, or death, have also increased by 16% in 2021, with non-reportable crashes shooting up by 151% when compared to 2020. Hit and run crashes were also up 1%, and while there were no fatalities as a result of traffic incidents in 2020, there were two reported in 2021.
Juvenile Services
A significant increase in the number of juvenile offenses (40% from 2020 to 2021 was observed in the report. Major rises were noted in the categories of Assault Offenses (137%), Drug Offenses (43%), Runaways (70%), Sex Offenses (243%), and charges of Disorderly Conduct (254%). Large decreases in Minor Possession/Consumption of Alcohol (44%) and Unruly Juveniles (15) were also recorded.
Juvenile placements from the Youth Services Division of the police department showed a decrease of 20% from 2020 to 2021 as well.
Drug Task Force
The Metro Area Narcotics Task Force (MANTF) has also been reporting massive success when it comes to identifying, stopping, and apprehending all those involved in the sale and creation of illegal drugs or narcotics. In 2021, the group conducted 61 field operations, executed 19 search warrants, and made 88 arrests relating to the drug trade. A list of all the seized goods captured by the MANTF in 2021 is below:
- Marijuana: 3.1 pounds seized, street valued at $6,960. Down from 245 pounds in 2020.
- Methamphetamine: 34.4 pounds seized, street value of $2,549,100. Down from 16 pounds in 2020.
- Heroin: 0.42 pounds seized, street value of $95,000. Down from 2 pounds in 2020.
- Cocaine: 8 grams seized, street value of $800. Down from 272 grams in 2020.
- Prescription Pills: 9,627 dosage units seized, street value of $474,650. An increase from 3,436 dosage units in 2020.
- Fentanyl: 4.7 pounds seized, street value $215,000.
- THC: 73 grams of Wax and 146 grams of Edibles seized, street value of $21,900.
- MDMA/Ecstasy: 73 dosage units seized, street value of $375. Down from 76 dosage units in 2020.
- Firearms: 50 seized, an increase from 24 firearms in 2020.
- U.S. Currency: A total of $207,846.00 siezed.
The annual report is designed to not only inform the public of the upticks in criminal activities, but to share the successes the department has experienced in bringing crime in their area down, the activities and community events the department hosts, and the hard work their officers put in to keep the city’s peace.
“Keep in mind,” Ziegler states, “with every crime, there is a victim and they have rights under the State of North Dakota’s Constitution. With the cooperative efforts between the police and our citizens, we can continue to make the City of Mandan a great place to live, work and raise a family. “
The full 2021 Annual Mandan Police Report can be downloaded and read on the PD’s website.