Pubdate: Mon, 18 Jul 2005 Source: Lexington Herald-Leader (KY) Copyright: 2005 Lexington Herald-Leader Contact: http://www.kentucky.com/mld/heraldleader/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/240 Author: Mark R. Chellgren , Associated Press DRUG ARRESTS ARE UP, BUT IS THAT BAD? Finding Meaning In Statistics Is Difficult FRANKFORT - Crime was down in Kentucky in 2004. Or crime was up in Kentucky. It depends on perspective and the interpretation of the statistics provided in the annual report compiled by the Kentucky State Police. KSP Capt. Lisa Rudzinski cautioned against drawing too many conclusions from the report, despite its volume and detail. "I don't think you can say anything about a crime trend based on one year," Rudzinski said. But there is a snapshot that can be viewed and while parts of it might seem encouraging, the overall view is of a state troubled by crime, especially drugs. The focus of "Crime in Kentucky -- 2004" is on so-called Part One crimes, the eight kinds of offenses identified by federal authorities as the most serious. They are murder, rape, robbery, aggravated assault, burglary, theft, auto theft and arson. Reported crimes in four of those eight categories increased from 2003 to 2004, though the overall number declined slightly from 114,423 to 113,635, a drop of 0.7 percent. Murder, rape, robbery and auto theft all increased from the previous year. The 216 murders in 2004 was the highest number since 1998, when it was 237. The biggest drop, in real numbers, was in the assault category. The largest percentage drop was in arson crimes. The flip side, though, was in a category not officially counted in the federal statistics. Arrests for drug offenses rose from 36,551 in 2003 to 40,793 in 2004, the report said. There were a total of 252,298 arrests in Kentucky in 2004. Rudzinski said the increase in drug arrests might not indicate higher usage, but more concentrated efforts to arrest offenders. "We're getting more of it," Rudzinski said. But there is also a central truth about drugs that underlies the numbers. Whether it's the killing during a deal gone bad or the auto theft to underwrite a habit, "The majority of crime in Kentucky is the result of drugs," Rudzinski said. Solving crime is another matter altogether. The report notes that 57 percent of violent crimes are solved. Conversely, fewer than 20 percent of property crimes are solved. "I think it's accurate to say crime is down, serious crime," Rudzinski said. One set of statistics tucked into the back of the 117-page report, though it is a peripheral law enforcement issue, is less ambiguous. Of the 14,309 law enforcement officers in Kentucky in 2004, from state police to local agencies and fish and wildlife enforcement, only 1,168 of them were female. While women make up more than half of the population, they account for barely 8 percent of the law enforcement contingent. Rudzinski, one of only 32 women among the 943 sworn KSP officers, said the figure is especially discouraging. Progress has been slow. Rudzinski said she was one of 28 women in the KSP when she started in 1993 -- four fewer than last year. - --- MAP posted-by: SHeath(DPFFlorida)