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Crime keeps Campbell courts busy throughout 2014
CAMPBELL
There’s always a flurry of activity in the Campbell Municipal Court on Tuesdays and Fridays.
Cars line the whole stretch of Warhurst Road and Tenney Avenue because of people waiting to appear before a judge on the days court is in session.
Last year, about 2,400 traffic- related arrests and 633 criminal cases were tried. This year, more than 3,800 traffic-related arrests and 885 criminal cases have come before the judge — and the year’s not over yet.
“It’s never been easy here, even before these arrest numbers skyrocketed,” said Christine Maker, clerk of court. “But it was definitely easier before than it has been lately.”
Maker said the courts added one part-time worker this year to keep up.
“Lately we work constantly from when we start at 9 a.m. until we finish early afternoon on court days without much of a lunch break,” Maker said. “And the morning of is always rushed since we’re entering newer felony cases into our system.”
Judith Clement, city administrator, said city offices are always busier because of the increase in court business.
“It never used to be this busy,” she said. “But since a lot of our police officers have been more aggressive in cleaning crime off our streets, we’re constantly busy on court days.”
Clement said the city has been reconsidering parking options near city hall to help with excess traffic.
The increase in arrests and court cases has also positively impacted the city’s budget.
Michael Evanson, Campbell’s finance director, said the dramatic increase in arrests and court cases has nearly doubled the city’s court revenue for both fiscal years 2014 and 2015, estimating the city will receive $432,000 from court fines this year.
“We’re putting that money into [police] department spending for things like police officer overtime, pay for more part-time officers and vehicle maintenance,” Evanson said.
Police Lt. John Rusnak said police have taken a more proactive approach to making arrests since June 2013. He said police have seen nearly 100 percent increase in arrests made.
“These numbers are unbelievable,” Rusnak said. “We think that all this crime has always been here, but it’s just more exposed since we’re being proactive.”
Rusnak said he thinks both having officers solely dedicated to traffic stops and officers on foot patrol duty have helped in being more aggressive.
Civilians expressed mixed opinions on the increase in arrests. James Lamar, a single father in Campbell, said that he’s glad police have been making more drug-related arrests, explaining he wants the drug problem gone from Campbell to protect his children.
“I get worried, seeing my kids ride their bikes in certain areas of town,” he said.
He added that he’s not happy with how police have been making drug-related arrests.
“I think the cops’ target is one-sided,” Lamar said. “They take too much time pulling people over, and not enough time at houses where drug activity is going on.”