OUR VIEW: Crime up, but Culpeper still a safe place

Staff Editorial
Published: September 21, 2008

» SUMMARY: More crime may come with growth, but that doesn’t mean Culpeper isn’t relatively safe.

Culpeper Police Chief Scott Barlow recently reported that serious crimes have trended up slightly over the past three years. That category includes such crimes as assault, arson, burglary, robbery and car theft.

Barlow attributes the increase in crime to the growth the town has experienced in the past few years, and we believe he’s right. While we believe most people are generally law-abiding, “most people” does not equal 100 percent. When you add the incoming criminals to the homegrown variety already here, you get more crime.

The poor economy is another factor. Gas drive-offs, frauds, bad checks and mail scams tend to go up when the economy goes down. Domestic violence also goes up as increased stress over money takes its toll on families.

Fortunately, we’re on the right track in dealing with it. We’ve recently heard about the success of the Culpeper Crime Solvers program, which provides reward money for information leading to arrests of suspects.

Residents in the Mountain Run Lake area spent Saturday getting to know each other at a block party. It may seem like just a nice, fun activity, but it’s actually the first step toward people looking out for each other — and keeping an eye open for crime in the neighborhood.

Looking out for your neighbors and letting police know about possible wrongdoing in your neighborhood may not bring “most people” any closer to 100 percent, but it sure can go a long way toward discouraging crime and bringing lawbreakers to justice.