Police: crime down 18.3% in 2024 while dispatches and incidents handled increased

Delhi Township police reported a year-over-year decline in crime but an increase in calls for service and incidents handled, Police Chief Braun told trustees at the Jan. 8 meeting.

Braun said overall reported crime for 2024 decreased 18.3% compared with 2023. At the same time, dispatches through the county’s communications center increased by about 4.9%, and incidents logged in the department’s records system rose roughly 16.8%.

"Crime from in 24 compared to 23 is down 18.3%," Chief Braun said during his presentation, adding that run volume and service-related calls had increased, and staff were managing the larger workload while keeping crime numbers down.

Why it matters: A sustained drop in reported crime while service calls increase indicates a shift in police workload toward non-crime responses (medical calls, welfare checks, traffic incidents). Chief Braun credited officers and community support for the reduction while warning that crashes and hit-and-run incidents continued to occur during the recent snow event.

Additional details: Braun said crash reports during the storm period were down roughly 2.5% from 2023, but the department still handled multiple incidents including a DUI-related crash and several hit-and-run reports; investigators are using video and neighborhood camera footage where available but noted snow-covered plates can hamper identification.

Ending: The chief thanked trustees and residents for support, urged safe behavior during winter conditions and highlighted the role of traffic and camera evidence in investigations.