Early into 2017, the crime rate in Junction City is down by nearly 11 percent.

Factors that play into that decrease are varied, according to Junction City Police Chief Dan Breci.

“Well some of [the reduced crime rate] it has to do with population, and some of it has to do with what’s going on in the economy or what’s going on in the United States,” said Breci. “When the population drops, calls for service drop.”

Amongst other variables in the population drop, one is the number of soldiers that are deployed from Fort Riley.

“I’m not saying that our problem is ever because of Fort Riley soldiers; they are our partners, we have a fantastic relationship with the MP’s (military police) and CID (criminal investigation department) and Command Staff,” said Breci. “We are [Fort Riley’s] hometown, and we appreciate everything they have.”

Breci noted that when a population increases, crime usually increases with it – and vice versa.

“I don’t necessarily mean that they are serious crimes – traffic accidents, calls for service, maybe domestic related, or neighbors upset with each other – that all comes to statistics that we look at,” said Breci.

Another factor in the crime reduction is the presence of law enforcement in the “field.”

“Last year, we were about a 9 percent increase [in crime] form 2015, and this year so far through the first couple of months we’re 11 percent down,” said Breci. “Some of my officers are a lot more proactive; last year we had 185 DUIs, which was over 100 more than the year before, and so that increases what we would call the crime statistic.”

The current force strength at the Junction City Police Department is 48 officers, a third of which have less than five years with the Department. Breci noted that younger officers are often very proactive in seeking out and deterring crime.

“They get excited, they want to get out and enforce the law and catch bad guys,” said Breci.

Breci’s full interview as heard on 1420 KJCK can be accessed here.