Dallas Police Department statistics for 2009 generally aren’t significantly different from 2008’s numbers, with the exception of murders investigated by the department.

Dallas had three murders in 2009 — an anomaly, according to Chief Scott Halter. “It’s been several years” since Dallas has had a murder to investigate, he said.

But all three 2009 murder cases were solved.

Henry Crump was found guilty Dec. 10 of shooting someone he knew at Bainbridge subdivision in March 2009 and sentenced to life in prison, plus 10 years, in the case, which was alleged to be drug-related.

Dallas Police responded to a murder/suicide in July at Merchants Court Apartments.

In September, an elderly woman who lived alone was robbed of a small amount of money and killed by a man who had done handyman work for her. The suspect was arrested, confessed to the crime and hanged himself at Paulding Detention Center.

“I hope the murders aren’t a trend,” said Halter.

Most other crime statistics were similar to 2008, said the chief.

The total number of arrests were down from 510 in 2008 to 444; accidents rose from 462 to 486; entering-auto cases fell from 87 to 77; family violence cases increased from 273 to 293; and DUI arrests dropped from 75 to 69. The department investigated 12 armed robberies in 2008 and nine in 2009; 911 calls increased from 2,438 to 2,562; miles patrolled rose from 156,671 to 170,906; thefts fell from 236 to 222; fraud cases rose from 58 to 63; forgery cases totaled 10 in 2008 and nine in 2009; shoplifting was reported 29 times in 2008 and 26 in 2009; drug activity was reported 34 times in 2008 and 31 a year later; and rape cases totaled five in 2008 and six in 2009.

Burglary reports dropped from 110 in 2008 to 90 a year later, which Halter said was “a big surprise.” The department also responded to 12 cases of counterfeit money being passed, mostly at restaurants, up from three the year before. Halter said counterfeit cases are “a blip” and said the department doesn’t get as many reports of counterfeit money being passed as other jurisdictions. None of the counterfeiting cases involved production of counterfeit money, he said.

The department also acquired new crime-fighting tools in 2009, mostly through grants. Dallas acquired a K-9 that is nationally certified in tracking, apprehension and narcotics — along with training for the dog and handler, a bite suit and $14,000 toward the purchase of a K-9 car — and bought four Tasers, a ballistic shield to be used when shots are being fired, a metal detector for municipal court, hand-held metal detector, laser speed-detection device, officer hats with rain covers, alcosensors to be used for sobriety testing in the field, metal bars for patrol car windows, spike strips for stopping fleeing vehicles, car computer mounts, a tint meter to test window opaqueness, crime scene investigation equipment and is buying a video surveillance system for the dispatching area and an intercom system.

As announced in last week’s Sentinel, the department is also expanding its building space, moving dispatching to police headquarters on Main Street and installing new dispatching consoles, including some to accommodate growth. The expansion will take part of the parking lot behind police headquarters and will include records storage, the dispatch director’s office, equipment room, dispatch break room, intox testing room, two interview rooms equipped with audio/visual devices, squad room, locker rooms, break room, restrooms, storage space and offices for two detectives and two officers.

“We hope to see construction in 2010,” said Halter.

The department now has 22 positions, plus a court clerk and assistant court clerk. The City Council added a full-time code enforcement officer in 2009, assigning him to the Police Department, and transferred a 4-wheel drive pickup truck from Public Works to Police.

The city’s public safety portion of special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) bought a new patrol car in 2009.

Halter said his department is “in good shape” in terms of equipment and manpower.