The Petersburg Borough Assembly will hear an annual report from the Petersburg Police Department at tonight’s meeting.
The report shows the number of arrests police made in 2024 was in line with the last couple of years, at 81.
And the report shows total calls to the police department went up slightly last year to 3,279, from 2,995 in 2023. The increased calls were mostly in categories like “disturbance” and “citizen assist.” There were noticeably fewer calls for welfare checks, criminal mischief and burglaries than in past years. Many other categories, like motor vehicle accidents and harassment, remained roughly the same.
But the volume of calls did go up considerably for “animal related problems,” which, the report notes, includes bears. In 2024 there were 253 calls. The year before, 173, and in 2022, 131 calls. That’s possibly because of a new measure the borough put in place a couple years ago. It allows local law enforcement to fine residents who fail to properly secure their garbage. First offenders get a $50 ticket, then it’s $150 for a second offense, and $300 for a third. The new fines give residents more incentive to call when there is a problem with garbage bears in their neighborhood.
Police Chief Jim Kerr will go over his report in detail at tonight’s assembly meeting, at 6 p.m. in assembly chambers. KFSK will air the meeting live, and post a recording on our website, kfsk.org.
