Benton County Sheriff Releases Annual Report

FOLEY (WJON News) -- Benton County Sheriff Troy Heck has presented his annual report to county commissioners and it shows most crimes in the county are down and staff recruitment and retention continue to be an issue.

According to the report, the crime rate and number of reported crimes are down for the sixth year in a row.

The statistics show three of the top five most reported crimes are property crimes and domestic violence is one crime that has risen.

Heck says the current labor shortage has made it difficult to hire deputies and jail staff.

There were increases in the number of 911 calls, civil process papers served, and the average daily number of inmates. The five most reported crimes in Benton County according to the report are domestic violence, fraud, theft, harassment, and criminal damage to property.

There were 15,344 calls for service last year which is fairly close to the five-year average.