Crime statistics are out for 2022 and the Joplin Police Department reports a .58% increase over the previous year. KRPS’s Fred Fletcher-Fierro has more.
That slight increase in crime reporting from the Joplin Police Department represents nine total incidents of violent crime from 2021 to 2022 according to Chief Sloan Rowland who presented the findings to the Joplin City Council at their meeting Monday.
After Chief’s Rowland’s presentation Mayor Doug Lawson had this observation.
“The Facebook Warriors I will read sometimes that Joplin’s crime statistics are so much worse than other cities in Missouri.”
Chief Rowland had this response.
“I think another metric that everyone needs to be aware of is that we’re a metropolitan area. Depending on whether you’re looking at a 200,000 to 250,000 daytime population, we still only get credit for 50,000 on a daytime population for our actual population. So our crime stats are always gonna be compared to that 50,000 population.”
When you compare 2022 crime numbers to 2019, there has been nearly a 17% decrease in violent crimes in Joplin. For 89 9 KRPS News, I’m Fred Fletcher-Fierro
