Trending Topics

Ohio police mapping gunfire incidents online

Mapping crime may help break pattern of violence in Dayton

By Andy Sedlak
Dayton Daily News

DAYTON — The recent rash of gunfire plaguing neighborhoods in West Dayton has roots stemming from varying circumstances that range from gang-related violence to domestic disturbances, according to police officials, who have been utilizing crime maps for several years to track common threads and patterns among incidents.

“You have to look at each individual case to see if there are similarities — that’s what’s going to help you interrupt a pattern,” said Maj. Matt Carper, of the West Patrol Operations Division. “In these (recent) cases, these are relationships or acquaintances.

“One was a stolen lottery ticket that turned into an aggravated robbery,” he added.

Several residences on Day-ton’s west side have been hit by gunfire in the past month. The same residence on Strawberry Row was sprayed with bullets on June 1 and June 18. Two houses on Whitmore Avenue were hit by bullets on June 18 — one in a collateral fashion. No one was hurt, but police said children were in both residences at the time.

A house on Melwood Avenue was hit on June 18.

In late May, a person on Kammer Avenue reported a group of people twice targeted her house with gunfire. Also, a mother on Hoover Avenue reported that she and her children were awakened by gunfire striking their house. One bullet shattered a sliding glass door.

Through June 24, there have been 15 homicides recorded in Dayton this year. There were 17 through the same time period last year and 14 during the same time frame in 2010.

“Just because there are a few in a certain part of town, doesn’t mean they’re necessarily connected,” said Carper, who added that crime mapping systems for the department are built by civilian employees. Changes and modifications keep coming, and the employees who construct crime maps are also involved in other technology-related projects.

Investigators have determined recent incidents on Whitmore and Strawberry Row are related and likely carry a “group or gang component” to them, according to Dayton Police Sgt. Dan Mauch.

There were more than 30 homicides in Dayton last year, and police officials have said 10 involved group or gang members either as victims or attackers.

In connection with the gunfire on Melwood, Mauch said authorities have made two arrests. Melwood’s gunfire is not believed to be connected to incidents on Stawberry Row and Whitmore.

Other recent incidents have been linked to domestic issues, he said.

The violence comes in the wake of a recent FBI report that found violent crime across the country — and in Dayton — has decreased. According to the report, violent crime in Dayton dropped 10 percent from 2010 through 2011. The number of violent crimes reported across the country fell 4 percent last year when compared to 2010. It was the fifth straight year of declines.

“Thank God our homicides are staying where they should be for this time of year,” Mauch said, “The problem is the shootings are still going on. If it weren’t for level-one trauma care, both (from) the medics and at Miami Valley, I would hate to think what our homicide numbers would be.”

David Whiting, 50, who has lived on Whitmore for a couple of years, said recent incidents have not altered his day-to-day routine.

“It’s going to happen in any neighborhood,” he said. “That’s just the way the world’s going. ... Kids are raising kids. There aren’t enough men to mentor them.

“You can’t blame it on the kids,” Whiting said. “If you didn’t have anybody to teach you, how are you going to know (better)?”

Online crime mapping data is available on the city of Dayton’s website.

Copyright 2012 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.

RECOMMENDED FOR YOU