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County's property crime rate surges

BY SARAH SUE INGRAM, Staff writer


Violent crime in Brunswick County rose to 220 crimes for every 100,000 residents in 2004 compared to 172 crimes in 2003, according to statistics recently released by the North Carolina Department of Justice.

Still, the county's violent-crime rate was about half the state average (447 violent crimes for every 100,000 residents in North Carolina in 2004).

The more disturbing statistic showed that Brunswick County's property crime rate-at 4,154 crimes per 100,000 residents-was higher than the state average-at 4,127 crimes.

"While we're pleased that our violent crime is half that of the state's, we consider violent crime an ongoing problem that must be addressed in a swift, certain and predictable manner," said Brunswick County Sheriff Ronald Hewett.

Why does the sheriff think there has been such a surge in property crime here?

"Brunswick County is one of the fastest growing areas in the state, and I attribute much of the property crime we have to the construction trade and people moving to Brunswick County," Hewett said.



"I certainly want to emphasize that most of the 19 people a day moving to Brunswick County are hard-working or retired taxpaying citizens who are building nice homes here and who are requiring very little services from the sheriff's office."

He said it's some people in the construction industry actually building the homes who have caused the increase in crime.

Also, the sheriff pointed out, criminals often commit property crimes so they can buy illegal drugs.

"Ninety percent of our crimes are drug- or alcohol-related," Hewett said.

So far in 2005, the bulletin-board ledger in the Major Crimes Unit of the sheriff's office shows that three of the six murder victims in Brunswick County were Hispanic.

Two of those murder victims were associated with the Latino gang MS 13. Their bodies were dumped in remote areas of Brunswick County. No one has been charged yet in those murders.

Of the four people who have been charged with murder in Brunswick County this year, at least one is a confirmed illegal alien from Mexico. Another defendant is also Hispanic.

Violent crimes are defined as murder, rape, robbery and aggravated assault. Property crimes are defined as burglary, larceny, motor-vehicle theft and arson.

N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper said county sheriffs say methamphetamine is their main drug problem and linked to such crimes as burglary, assault and domestic violence.

"Child predators are stalking our children on the Internet, while methamphetamine production and use endangers our communities and families," Cooper said.

Statewide, law enforcement closed down nine meth labs in 1999. So far in 2005, they've already raided 251 meth labs.

Still, in 2004, the statewide rate for violent crime fell from 455 to 447 per 100,000 residents, and the rate for property crime fell from 4,257 to 4,127.