Wareham Police release crime statistics for a “very busy year”

The Wareham Police Department had a busy year. Here are some of the statistics at the end of 2019.

Total logged calls for the year were 50,067, this includes everything from building checks and motor vehicle stops to serious felonies.

• Domestic disturbances – 601
• Arrests, criminal summons and protective custodies – 1,242
• Arrest warrants applied for by officers -96
• Search warrants applied for by detectives – 28
• Incident reports filed – 2,168
• Motor vehicle accidents investigated – 574
• Firearms licenses processed – 633
• Motor vehicle citations written – 1,094 (426 of those were written on Cranberry Hwy.)
• Overdose calls – 116 (compared with 162 in 2018)
• Emergency medical calls dispatched – 4,846
• Emergency phone calls received via 911 – 11,330 – These are 911 only, and do not include the multiple other phone lines that communications officers answer as well.

Acting Chief John Walcek said, “The Wareham Police Department is a busy place; the communications officers and police officers work very hard to protect people.” He added, “While our overdose calls actually went down by 46, it is still a very serious problem. The April 2019 takedown of a major supplier of illegal narcotics resulted in the heroin trade being disrupted in Wareham for several months. In addition, through education and awareness many families have access to Narcan which may have been administered without emergency help being requested.”