MOULTRIE, Ga. — The Moultrie Police Department says that according to their statistics, crimes have decreased since the onset of COVID.

MPD Police Chief Sean Ladson presented a crime statistics report to the Moultrie City Council during their Oct. 19 work session. In it, Ladson explained that many statistics have decreased from the January to August period of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020.

“Our patrol officers are actively patrolling neighborhoods,” Ladson said in an interview Friday. “They’re seen in the neighborhoods. Most individuals who are part of a criminal element that would say, burglarize your home, see a police officer patrolling your neighborhood — actively enforcing the law — they are less likely to break into your home.”

According to the statistics Ladson presented: robberies, aggravated assaults, burglaries, domestic disputes and felony and misdemeanor thefts have all decreased. Only two categories did not decrease. While there was one reported murder in 2021, none were reported in 2020. The number of reported rapes has continued the same between 2020 and 2021 with five reported in both years thus far. 

The one murder occurred at a restaurant on South Main Street on Jan. 10. Four victims were shot following an argument and 25-year-old Rhoderick Moore was fatally wounded, according to an article published in The Observer at the time of the shooting. No suspect has been charged in that case. 

All these statistics come from the MPD’s internal systems as well as statistics logged by Colquitt County dispatch. This system tracks a variety of other police interactions including what’s known as “CAD” calls — Computer Aided Dispatch — as well as use of force reports, vehicle pursuit reports, internal investigations, warnings and citations issued and other calls for service. A CAD call includes every call for service, Ladson said. 

“Every call for service, traffic stop or incident is logged through a CAD at Colquitt County 911,” Ladson explained during his presentation to the council.

Since the beginning of the year, MPD officers have made 14,622 contacts with citizens on a variety of calls such as routine traffic stops, field interviews, alarm calls, domestic disputes, and calls related to animals, medical problems and mental health. 

Stats broken down:

• 14,622 total contacts.
• 1,087 citations issued.
• 3,927 warnings issued.
• 898 alarm calls.
• 296 domestic disputes.
• 144 animal.
• 221 medical.
• 48 mental health.

Ladson said that the actual number of mental health calls should be higher but many get put into medical calls.

“There are many things that need to be checked off before it can be categorized as a mental health call,” Ladson said in an interview.

The MPD’s criminal investigations have also seen success so far this year. Ladson said 117 felony cases were cleared by arrest and have been forwarded to the Southern Judicial Circuit District Attorney for prosecution. The MPD has also continued its partnership with local, state and federal law enforcement agencies including many cases with the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office and three cases with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. These cases included an elder abuse case, the murder of Moore, and a body that was found on the campus of C.A. Gray Junior High School in August, which was eventually ruled a suicide. 

The MPD was also able to clear a fraud case with the U.S. Secret Service that began in 2020 and ended in the summer of 2021, according to Ladson. MPD and CCSO also have a working partnership with the Southern Region Federal Bureau of Investigation Gang Task Force and Project Safe Neighborhoods.

Lt. Steve Exum is currently the MPD’s Task Force Officer and works closely with the FBI Gang Task Force, according to Ladson. So far this year, Exum and other members of the GTF have identified 14 active gangs, validated 14 gang members and cleared seven federal gang cases. Members must be validated through at least three identifiers before any gang related charges can be brought against them. These identifiers include tattoos, social media habits, known associates or admission. 

“(Exum) and these guys do a lot of work here in the county and throughout the region. Many people don’t realize this but Moultrie has fairly active gang activity,” Ladson said.

The MPD has other special operations teams which include a K9 named Zorro and his handler, Jesus Valdez; drone deployments; and the MPD-CCSO joint Drug Enforcement Team. The DET has been able to clear 288 cases with 319 arrests so far. At least four of those cases have gone on to federal prosecution. 

Those cases include: 

• 2.5 kilos of methamphetamine, cocaine and oxycodone.
• 2 kilos of methamphetamine and three firearms.
• 2 kilos of methamphetamine and $13,000 cash seized.
• 3.6 oz. of ecstasy.

Ladson said that behind all the statistics are officers who are dedicated to protecting the community.

“You can look at the numbers all day long but what I want people to remember is that somebody is behind those statistics. They’re doing the work and they’re out there answering calls or working cases.”