Violent crime in Wildwood was down 37.5 percent during the last quarter while property crimes remained stable, Police Chief Randy Parmer told city commissioners Monday.
Parmer, who is marking his one-year anniversary as chief, included the latest statistics in a quarterly report.
The city had five violent crimes last quarter, including three aggravated assaults, a rape and a robbery, compared to eight last fall. Wildwood had 42 property crimes last quarter, the same as September-November, including 22 theft or larceny cases and 18 burglaries.
A cluster of eight burglaries were reported last quarter in the area of Antrim Dells, a Villages neighborhood east of the Brownwood Town Square.
The recent apprehension of a juvenile, Parmer said, reduced vehicle thefts from more than a dozen earlier last year to three in the last two quarters.
The chief also reported that he made several personnel decisions, including reclassifying the last remaining corporal to officer and creating a training sergeant position.
He also assigned Officer Dave Perry to community outreach on a part-time basis.
Perry has helped serve popcorn at several events, worked with Habitat for Humanity and organized a meet-and-greet with officers.
“I applaud him for his efforts,” Parmer said. “He’s been an tremendous asset to the department in his spare time.”
Commissioner Joe Elliott said he spotted a gang symbol on a traffic sign and asked whether it could be removed.
Mayor Ed Wolf said he has a seen few gang symbols around the city.
“We’ve got some wanna-be gangs,” he said. “They like to be seen and noticed.”
Public Works Director Jeremy Hockenbury said the gang symbols can be scrubbed without affecting the traffic signs.
Commissioner Julian Green said a solution is needed for traffic congestion at the intersection of U.S. 301 and State Road 44.
He said one suggestion was to assign four officers for traffic control during late afternoons.
County Administrator Jason McHugh said the state plans improvements in 2022 including the addition of left-turn lanes. He said the opening of new roads in the Villages of Southern Oaks eventually could relieve some of the traffic.
Wolf said he recently waited through five light changes waiting to turn and recalled that the intersection had stop signs in the early 1970s.
Commissioners also approved a payment of $301,468 for the new police headquarters under construction on the southwest corner of U.S. 301 and County Road 462 West. Completion is expected by mid-summer.