Police chief: Fort Valley crime down by 47% thanks to criminal analysis, community engagement
Chief of Police Dr. Anson Evans says a strategic approach has helped the Fort Valley Police Department identify major problems and build trust in the community.
FORT VALLEY, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) – Crime is down in Fort Valley, and law enforcement says it’s all thanks to criminal analysis and community engagement.
Dr. Anson Evans has served as the Chief of Police in Fort Valley for one year. During that time, the city has seen a significant decrease in crimes like entering automobiles, vehicle theft and Larceny.
Chief Evans says it wouldn’t have been possible without a strategic plan.
“Every few months I go back and see where we’re at, just to see along the lines of what we need to improve, what we can do better and what we need to bring in and any other resources we need,” he said.
The strategic plan consists of a research based approach to help the Police Department identify major problems in the area.
“A lot of small departments do not keep up with things like that, but I’m very big on statistics,” Chief Evans said. “Analytics play a big part in crime reduction.”
Last year, Chief Evans created a Special Operations Unit to respond to problems in the community and organize education and youth programs. He says being able to identify entering auto suspects and keeping juveniles off the streets has played a big part in reducing crime.
Fort Valley Mayor Jeffery Lundy served with the city’s police department for 27 years. He says taking a proactive approach of connecting with the community is more effective than reacting to crimes once they’ve happened.
“That engagement helps towards that decrease in crime, because now you’re showing law enforcement in a different aspect, and at the same time you’re doing things that engages opportunities for young folks,” Mayor Lundy said.
In the past year, the Fort Valley Police Department has also worked to remove blight, increase manpower and build strong relationships with other law enforcement agencies.
Chief Evans says building trust with the community and improving quality of life for young people has been one of the biggest contributing factors to reducing crime in Fort Valley.
“Hey, community, this is what you did,” he said. “Yeah, we helped, but it was more so on you, and I thank my community every day for just being able to say we have reduced crime by 47% in Fort Valley.”
Chief Evans says programs like the Business Leaders Exchange, Neighborhood Watch and Citizens Police Academy have also helped law enforcement in Fort Valley.
