The total number of reported crime offenses in Barren County rose in 2008 from the year before according to the Kentucky State Police’s annual Crime In Kentucky report. Those rising numbers continue an upward trend in crime that began in 2006.

The report indicates that law enforcement agencies state-wide made 380,707 arrests in 2008, and in Barren County they investigated 906 offenses and conducted 320 arrests for Part I, or the most serious, crimes during the calendar year. Police made 4,383 arrests for Part II crimes in Barren County. One of the largest jumps in Part I crime occurred in the larceny-theft category, where agencies made 196 arrests in 2008.

Crime numbers have increased steadily since 1999, when the Barren County population stood at 37,687, according to the United States Census Bureau. After a small dip in offenses during 2005, the numbers began to climb before an even greater increase between 2007 and 2008, when the census bureau estimated the county population at 41,566.

Part I offenses are assault, burglary, theft, robbery, arson, rape and murder. Part II offenses include fraud, drug law violations, alcohol intoxication, sex offenses and disorderly conduct, among several others. The number of arrests do not indicate the number of actual offenses.

The annual KSP reports compile county-wide counts citations reported from the state police, Barren County Sheriff’s Office, Glasgow, Cave City and Park City police departments, and all other law enforcement agencies.

Sheriff Chris Eaton said the higher numbers of offenses might indicate a general rise in crime in the county, but it may also be due to better reporting practices by the law enforcement agencies.

His office compiles statistics for many more categories than the state police requires and provides a weekly sheriff’s report to the media, he said.

The Glasgow Police Department does the same and Chief Horace Johnson said the GPD has seen similar numbers to those reported in 2008 thus far into 2009. Glasgow police are on pace to arrest nearly 300 individuals for burglary and theft alone by the end of 2009, he said.

“We have monthly reports through September completed,” Johnson said. “In January there were 10 burglary and 27 larceny arrests, six burglary and 21 larceny in February, and two burglary and 22 larceny arrests in March,” he said. “It looks like those are similar for April through September.”

The 4,703 total arrests in 2008 are the most in any of the previous 15 years according to KSP reports. Some of the largest increases came in DUI and public drunkeness categories, as well as narcotics and property theft arrests.

The increase in narcotics arrests in the past two years may have a little to do with the lagging economy, but he believes the larger issue appears to be repeat offenders committing crimes after being released from custody, Eaton said.

“A lot of it appears to prior offenders,” he said. “It seems like there have been more methamphetamine cases this year. And it’s sad to say it is a lot of repeat offenders. You see a lot of the same names and faces.”

Johnson and Eaton both commended the public for its input and assistance in fighting crime, citing tip hotlines as good sources for information.

“In the 16 years I’ve been in law enforcement I’ve solved very few crimes without the help of the public. Citizens and witnesses are the reason we are able to make so many arrests,” Eaton said.

KSP Trooper Charles Swiney said he has been out on patrol away from the post much of this week and had not seen the 2008 report as of Thursday, thus he said he could not comment for this story.