Recently, Mayor Kim Ecklund has had to defend her position regarding the city’s investment in public safety, following criticisms from the Kendall Club Benevolent Association, the union responsible for representing Jamestown police officers. This has arisen due to the mayor’s assertions about the city’s commitment to public safety, which were questioned in an opinion piece by the Kendall Club. This piece was featured in The Post-Journal on March 1. Following its publication, members of the City Council wasted no time expressing their dissatisfaction during a recent council meeting.
The city authorities responded to the public commentary with a press release issued on a Friday afternoon. They noted that the public statements made by the Kendall Club PBA could propagate misleading information that might cause unnecessary alarm among citizens. The City Council highlighted the need for any public safety discussions to be based on facts, rather than propagating fear through misinformation. The council argued that misleading information can distort facts about crime rates, staffing levels, as well as the efficacy of established safety measures. Consequently, it emphasizes the necessity for painting a truthful and transparent image of public safety in Jamestown.
An alarming statistic in the Kendall Club’s essay stated that in 2024, seven out of eight homicides within Chautauqua County were committed within the city of Jamestown. The union’s essay described this figure as shocking and found it unpalatable that city leaders should consider it acceptable. However, the city officials contested this claim, stating that it appeared misleading when discussing public safety because the nature of these homicides varied widely.
Upon breaking down the numbers, it was apparent that two of the homicide cases involved minors, three incidents were related to ongoing disputes, criminal activities or revenge, one murder resulted from a confrontation, and another was an unintended victim. Thus, city officials believe these statistics should be taken into account when assessing Jamestown’s public safety.
Additionally, the police union referenced the Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) reports that were released by the state of New York. According to the report, Jamestown, which falls under the Tier 2 GIVE category, recorded the highest increase in shootings. The number of victims increased from four in 2023 to ten in 2024. This rise was the most substantial among all Tier 2 cities, surpassed only by Binghamton, which boasts a larger estimated population.
Binghamton, with an approximate population of 46,727 residents, was the only Tier 2 city with more gunshot victims. The city recorded 11 shooting victims, just one more than Jamestown, which was estimated to have a population of 27,965 during the same period. It’s important to note that these figures represent a snapshot of a particular time and don’t necessarily indicate overarching trends.
The police union also highlighted that Part 1 offenses in Jamestown saw an increase between the years 2023 and 2024, moving from 1016 to 1,084 incidents. This includes a specific rise in robberies by 44% (from 21 to 39) and larcenies by around 20% (from 558 to 691). Furthermore, when looking at all Part 1 offenses – that is, murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, larceny, and motor vehicle theft – there was a 1.52% increase in 2024 compared to the average of the same category of crimes from 2019 to 2023.
Contrary to this crime snapshot taken by the police union, the city’s officials offer a different perspective as they analyze crime patterns over a longer time frame. They consider data sourced from the State Division of Criminal Justice Services as well as the Annual Public Safety Reports compiled by the city’s police chief and crime analyst to provide a more accurate overview of crime trends.
Co-relating crimes spanning over a decade shows that Part 1 offenses have dropped by about 26% from 1,485 in 2014 to 1,083 in 2024. Instances of rape have declined from a high of 48 cases in 2018 to 22 in 2024. Burglaries have also decreased from 359 in 2012 to 151 in 2024, a figure that defines a 15-year low.
Along with burglaries, instances of motor vehicle theft have also been at an all-time low, shrinking from 64 cases in 2022 to just 14 in 2024. However, not all categories of Part 1 crimes saw a decline, with aggravated assault numbers standing at 162 cases in 2024, surpassing the 15-year approximate average of 147.53.
Also, the total larceny cases in 2024 were marked at 691, slightly higher than the 15-year average of 685.87 a year. City officials use these statistics to argue that a broader overview of the crime data is necessary as singular-year data can’t establish an accurate trend.
The officials stress that it’s important to consider multi-year trends for understanding public safety rather than only focusing on isolated comparisons. Crime rates can fluctuate due to a variety of factors, and hence a single year’s data cannot wholly indicate a definitive trend. Enforcing different strategies, economic conditions, societal changes, and officer engagement, among others, can impart significant changes to crime rates year over year.
When crime data is analyzed holistically, it is evident that crime rates have steadily declined over the past 15 years. The city’s officials emphasize this long-term decline in their defense against the allegations made by the police union.
Understandably, given the nature and gravity of crimes committed in a community, it is vital for city leaders and the police force to consider the totality of local circumstances, trends, and strategies. Single-year increases in certain crime categories should not be disregarded, but neither should long-term trends showing an overall decrease in crime rates.
The ongoing debates relating to public safety in Jamestown exemplify the challenges of weighing immediate evidence against long-term trends. While fear-based reactions are not called for, it is equally important that each crime statistic is correctly interpreted and not manipulated to create false narratives.
Both the city officials and the police union have a common goal – ensuring the safety and security of the Jamestown residents. This discussion about public safety should, therefore, serve as a positive force in the reassessment of strategies, initiatives and resource allocation for effectively reducing crimes and creating a safer city for everyone.