Sheriff Jett’s 6-Year “Glitch”

It seems that Sheriff Jett wasn’t a big fan of our recent post about crime being up big in Stafford County.

So instead of fighting crime Sheriff Jett did what any reasonable person would do: he set out to slice and dice the numbers to try to change the narrative. The problem is that it didn’t work.

I find it interesting that a month out from Election Day that Sheriff Charlie suddenly finds a 6-year old “software glitch” in HIS 2005 crime numbers. Glad to see Sheriff Charlie is on top of things. One has to wonder what other “glitches” he’s overlooked?

Despite his “new” numbers, crime is still on the rise in Stafford County. Jett’s recent attempt to mask 5 consecutive years (2006-2010) of increasing crime in Stafford shows just how serious he is taking the disturbing uptick in crime in the county – he ISN’T!

If we discount the 2005 numbers because of Jett’s 6-year “glitch,” per capita crime in Stafford County is up 13% and violent crime is up 47% from 2006 to 2010. For comparison’s sake, Prince William County’s overall per capita crime rate has fallen 10% and their violent crime rate has also fallen 20%. During this time period we’ve had more overall and violent crime, per capita, then both Spotsylvania and Prince William respectively.

Source: Virginia State Police
Source: Virginia State Police

Crime isn’t the only thing that’s been on the rise in Stafford over the last 5 years as his department’s budget has also increased a whopping 42% over that time period. I wonder whether Jett used HIS faulty numbers to justify huge increases to his department’s budget?

Jett is clearly more interested in playing with the numbers then keeping us safe. Maybe if he spent more time in Stafford County instead of pursuing his political career the last several years, he could have done more to address the rather disturbing increasing crime trend. Of course, he would first have to admit that there is a problem.

Admitting there is a problem is the first step to recovery.

Is Sheriff Jett’s 6-year computer glitch an oops on the scale of Marilyn Monroe’s dress blowing up over her knees by a passing train? Can we expect MM’s patented pout on Charlie’s face next? Stay tuned…

 

1 Comment on “Sheriff Jett’s 6-Year “Glitch”

  1. Well put. BTW, while the violent crime rate was soaring 47% in Stafford these past five years, it was DECLINING 16% nationally. So why are we 63% less safe (vis-a-vis the national norm) after paying 42% more? Our law enforcement dollars are being wasted to prop up a partisan political machine that has ruled Stafford County for 72 years, now complacent and inefficient. It ought to be led to the political boneyard by a new, independent breed of law enforcement professionals.