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Acting captain says crime down overall but catalytic-converter thefts surge; department cites staffing gaps
Summary
Acting Captain Juan Sanchez told the Norwalk City Council crime is down about 5% year-to-date but thefts are up 30%, largely driven by catalytic-converter thefts; the department cited 24 deputy vacancies and described community policing efforts and partnerships to address trends.
Acting Captain Juan Sanchez of the Norwalk Station told the City Council on April 21 that overall crime in the city is down about 5% compared with last year but highlighted sharp, itemized changes in specific categories.
"Crime is down 5% for the year," Sanchez said, then listed category changes: "There's been a 66% decrease in reported rapes, 23% decrease in burglaries, 45 percent decrease in stolen cars, and 75% decrease in arson. We have had an increase in robberies, but that's only up 5 incidents from this time last year... Regarding assaults, there is a 10% increase... We did see a 30% increase in thefts, and that was largely due to the catalytic converter thefts." He told council the department recovered 1,600 catalytic converters connected to a storage facility and assigned a detective to focus on those thefts.
Sanchez described the department's community policing work, including quadrant officers who build one-on-one relationships with residents, the HOPE team that offers services to people experiencing homelessness, and regular coordination with the city's public-safety staff. He said the station has a team of sergeants, deputies and specialized deputies (motor, commercial enforcement and a SCORE resource deputy) supporting those efforts.
At the same time, Sanchez said the station is managing staffing challenges: "We do have 24 vacant deputy positions at our station," he said, while also noting the agency has increased recruit classes and seen more deputies finish the academy and return to Norwalk.
Council members thanked Sanchez; several praised the department's outreach programs and asked for continued communication as street-level enforcement and prevention measures proceed.
