Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
Serving Clovis, Portales and the Surrounding Communities
If there’s anything I know for sure, it’s that crime in Clovis is on many minds.
I read on Facebook that local crime is spiraling out of control. Mostly it’s Joe Biden’s fault.
But the anecdotal evidence shared on social media does not match up with the statistics, which suggest crime may be dropping … dramatically.
Consider:
In 2013, Clovis police recorded 2,646 arrests. That number has been steadily decreasing since. In 2023, CPD recorded 1,061 arrests – a 150% drop.
Jail records reflect the declining arrests. In 2016, Curry County Adult Detention Center housed an average of 219 inmates per day. In 2023, that average was 163, according to acting Administrator Joe Alaniz.
Should we believe Facebook or the cold, hard numbers? I asked Clovis Police Chief Roy Rice what he thinks.
“Several things can cause a decrease in (arrests) -- lack of crime, lack of reporting, or change in classifications of offenses,” he wrote in an email last week.
“In years past, some misdemeanors, including possession of a controlled substance, was an arrestable offense. Later years brought about issuing citations/summons and release. So while arrest numbers may be down, was the actual offense occurrence down as well? This is something else that is questionable and difficult to confirm.”
In other words, the chief doesn’t know either. But I think his insights carry a lot more weight than social media or statistics, which have lied to me before.
“As we know, society runs in cycles with its ups and then its downs,” Rice wrote. “I would love to say it was good proactive law enforcement that causes the decrease in crime, but sometimes it’s just the opposite. When we have the experienced manpower on the streets, there is more time for the officers to look for activity. When we are running short handed, we have time to answer calls and take reports with less time to perform proactive patrolling,” he wrote.
District Attorney Quentin Ray also offered some insight.
“There are probably numerous factors” (for the declining number of arrests), he wrote in a text message.
Police staffing issues, and the experience level of those police, likely have impacted crime statistics, he said. Also, with the legalization of marijuana two years ago, police have lost the ability to search vehicles when they smell the odor of cannabis.
Former DA Andrea Reeb, now a state lawmaker, said she’s also not sure why the number of arrests has dropped so much in recent years. But she’s certain crime is not going away.
She believes fewer police on the street since COVID is a more likely explanation. Fewer cops force law enforcement to be less pro-active and more reactive, she said.
Clovis Police Capt. Roman Romero said it’s likely the jail population is declining because of changes in the laws that allow suspected criminals to make bond prior to trial.
As for whether crime in Clovis is rising, falling or staying the same, he’s not sure how we can determine that either.
“Seems there will always be more questions even after we get answers,” he said.
David Stevens is editor and publisher of Clovis Media Inc. Email him at:
