The Shawano Police Department released their annual police report from the previous year. Lieutenant Dan Mauel presented a few of the numbers to the Shawano Common Council Wednesday night.
In total, the department responded to just under 9,000 incidents in 2016, about 67 fewer than 2015, but Lieutenant Mauel noted a spike in drug offenses.
“Those are up 93 percent over last year,” Mauel revealed. “A significant increase, and that just goes to show we’re concentrating on our drug problem in the city. Hopefully we’re putting a dent into it.”
Most of the offenses are opiate pills related, as well as Marijuana complaints. Methamphetamine arrests have also jumped.
Numbers from 2016 included a 20 percent jump in code violations that officers reported.
“That’s quality of life in our neighborhoods,” said Mauel. “We’re trying to make our city and neighborhoods a nice place to live and people feel safer.”
The Shawano Police Department reported 47 more traffic violations in 2016 than 2015 and also responded to 68 more vehicle lockouts than the previous year. The report can be viewed in its entirety on the police department’s website.