County crime rate on the upswing

As Sidney and Cheyenne County continue to grow, so do incidents of crime around the region.

“We’re in an unprecedented time right now with the crimes of violence, the drug cases,” said Cheyenne County attorney Paul Schaub at a county commissioner meeting last month.

In Nebraska communities with populations from 5,000-99,999 there were 11 cases of murder or manslaughter in 2011 and four in 2012, according to a report by the Nebraska Commission on Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. This represents a 64 percent drop in murder cases in communities of that size.

Cheyenne County experienced four cases of murder or manslaughter in the past three years.

“I’ve been here 19 years as county attorney and there hasn’t been a time like this in the prior years where we have one homicide after another,” Schaub said.

In Cheyenne County, there was one murder recorded in 2011, two in 2012 and one case of manslaughter last year.

Cheyenne County Sheriff John Jenson believes that the rise in violent crime correlates with an upswing in local drug activity.

“The drug use has definitely increased and will continue to increase,” Jenson said. “And as long as that will continue to increase, you will see an increase in thefts and burglaries, violent crimes, domestic abuse.”

Jenson thinks several factors play into increased drug activity in the area. One of the most significant causes, in his opinion, are marijuana laws in Colorado. This makes it essential that law enforcement in this area employ a no tolerance policy when it comes to possession, use and distribution of drugs.

Jenson believes that violent crime directly related to drug activity, like the 2012 shooting over a drug debt brought to trial two weeks ago, can be stopped if caught early enough.

“That’s why it’s imperative that we have the drug investigators working so hard,” Jenson said.

The sooner law enforcement can break up a group involved in drugs, the sooner they can attempt to prevent related incidences of violence. Jenson knows that drugs like methamphetamine, which tend to induce violent behavior, are present in the community and have the potential to facilitate more crime.

As long as methamphetamine is being used in the area, the potential for related assaults or even murders is still there and law enforcement need to stay vigilant, he said.

Schaub partially attributed a huge jump in search warrants in the past year to drug enforcement activity in the area. The Western Nebraska Intelligence & Narcotics Group has made significant advances in cracking down on drug crime, both Jenson and Schaub agreed.

Schaub and Jenson also agreed that when it comes to violent crime, certain incidents are simply difficult to prevent.

“Some of the last couple years that we’ve had, we’ve had some tragic events,” Jenson said. “And I think some of those are not drug related.”

Jenson and Schaub both hope that incarceration and sentencing for recent crimes will serve as a warning to potential criminals. Two men were convicted of first degree murder in Cheyenne County District Court in the past three months. In Nebraska a first degree murder charge carries a required life sentence.

“I would think that the sentences rendered in the prior cases are such that, if there is a deterrent value to the crimes, that persons would be persuaded not to engage in crime,” Schaub said. “But at the same time, I realize that I can’t crawl into the minds of someone to say, ‘Don’t kill someone or don’t distribute drugs.’”

The local public is doing an excellent job in keeping law enforcement apprised of suspicious or illegal behavior that they see, Jenson pointed out.

“That says a lot of great things about our community, that they’re willing to take part in it and stand up for their communities,” he added. “If we continue to do that I think we will drive crime down.”

Staff at both the county attorney’s and sheriff’s offices are working diligently to keep up with the increased workload that accompanies a growing community located on a busy interstate.

“We’re doing what we should be doing—utilizing resources and doing the best we can,” Schaub said.

The county attorney’s office uses outside resources to prosecute large cases such as murders. The Nebraska Attorney General’s office has provided a lot of help to the office, Schaub said. A big part of tackling a rise in local crime is finding and taking advantage of all the resources available, he added. If the upward trends in violent and drug crimes continue, the county attorney’s office will have to look toward expanding its staff.

“My intent is not to unduly or unnecessarily burden the Cheyenne County taxpayers if there are other outside resources available,” Schaub said.

The sheriff’s office will likely have to consider hiring more personnel, as well, if trends continue.

“Staff is putting in overtime to stay up on the current workload,” Jenson said. “I really don’t see an end in sight. It’s gonna keep increasing. Staff is working very hard, putting in long hours and they will continue to do that.”

Schaub thanked local law enforcement for its excellent work to quell rising crime rates and added that working with effective law enforcement makes a huge difference in his job.

“It motivates me to keep on coming back to work when I’m working with some experienced, qualified and very motivated law enforcement officials,” Schaub said.

Jenson affirmed that because Sidney and Cheyenne County are growing, an increase in crime was inevitable.

“Unfortunately when you have growth, you’re gonna have growing pains,” Jenson said. “We have to keep the growing pains small.”

If law enforcement continues to be proactive, Jenson thinks it can drive the crime rate back down.

“We want zero tolerance around here,” he said.