Sheriff: Crime Down for 2nd Straight Year

Waxahachie, Texas - February 9, 2011- Sheriff Johnny Brown reports it was another good year for the rural residents of Ellis County. Part 1 crimes have once again declined. Part 1 crimes

include Homicide, Sexual Assault, Robbery, Assault, Burglary, Theft and Motor Vehicle Theft.
These are the crimes reported to the FBI and make up the “report card” for law enforcement
agencies nationally.

“When I took over as Sheriff in January 2009, one of my main goals was to reduce crime in
Ellis County. First, I insisted that all the sections within the Sheriff’s Office work together and
share information. Second, we put more marked cars on the roads. With this new practice we
spread out and performed joint enforcement ventures with other law enforcement agencies in the
County. Through cooperative effort we have achieved our goal to reduce crime. These efforts
have really paid off.”

“In 2008 there were a total of 1,792 Part 1 offenses reported. In 2009, the first year I was
Sheriff, those numbers dropped to 1,361. Now, at the end of 2010, those numbers dropped again
to 1,178. Reported burglaries of homes and buildings alone dropped by nearly 200 offenses per
year during this time. In total, there has been a 34% decrease in major crimes reported in the last
two years.”

“I need to make one thing clear. Law enforcement has not been the sole reason for the decrease.
We are finding that our citizens are taking a more active role in watching out for their neighbors
by calling us whenever they see something that just doesn’t look right. I love seeing them
become more involved in their communities. I hope more citizens become a part of this trend
and get on board by their giving law enforcement agency a call when they see something going
wrong. After all, law enforcement can only be as effective as the citizens they serve. Working
together, we can continue this trend making Ellis County a safer place for all.”