Shelby County Sheriff’s Office reporting significant fall in property crime

SHELBY COUNTY, Ala. (WBRC) - The Shelby County Sheriff’s Office is reporting a decrease in property crimes.

Burglaries in 2022 were down 18 percent from the previous year. Thefts were down 15 percent and unlawful breaking and entering a whopping 31 percent decrease. When you compare all the numbers to ten years ago, they’re all down between 50 to 70 percent.

Shelby County Chief Deputy Clay Hammac says he believes there are a few reasons for the drop. One of them is education. He says the county has made a significant effort informing the community about how to protect their belongings and avoid falling victim to these crimes.

Along with that, Hammac says they are changing their strategies by looking at, what he calls, “predictive analytics” to see where much of the crime is happening around the county and focus on those areas.

“We want to be seen in those apartment complex parking lots, those commercial retail parking lots in the evening, in our residential areas,” said Hammac. “If someone has the intent of coming by and looking for unlocked vehicles, we want them to see a marked patrol vehicle and we want them to feel very uncomfortable committing crime here in Shelby County.”

Chief Deputy Hammac says for the downward trend to continue, they must continue their partnerships with other government entities and the community. He encourages people in the area to say something if they see something.

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