Crime and vehicle accident statistics for 2007 in Leelanau County are showing a modest downturn from previous years.

Leelanau County Sheriff Mike Oltersdorf said this week that Sheriff’s Department personnel are currently compiling a set of reports for 2007 that must be submitted to the Michigan State Police and federal agencies later this year. Preliminary numbers indicate that crime rates in Leelanau County remain low, and that traffic-related offenses remain the county’s biggest single law enforcement problem, according to the sheriff.

Oltersdorf said deputies issued 912 tickets for traffic offenses in 2007, compared to 825 in 2006. He noted, however, that the number of tickets issued in the past two years has been well below previous years. Between 1996 and 2005, the number of tickets issued each year averaged between 1,100 and 1,400, he said.

Although the number of traffic tickets issued in 2007 was up more than nine percent from 2006, the number of vehicle accidents was down slightly, from 562 in 2006 to 560 in 2007.

There were more fatalities associated with vehicle accidents in 2007, however. Six people died and 89 injured in vehicle accidents in Leelanau County in 2007. In 2006, four people lost their lives and 86 were injured.

Alcohol was a factor in 27 motor vehicle accidents in 2007. In the biggest month for alcohol-related crashes, December, seven such crashes occurred.

“You might think that we’d have more accidents in Leelanau County in the summer when the population of the county swells with all the summer residents and visitors,” Oltersdorf said. “But the fact is that the greatest number of accidents occurs in November, December and January. That tells me that a large number of accidents in Leelanau County are related to the weather, and that we could eliminate many of those if people would just slow down when driving on ice and snow,” the sheriff said.

November was the biggest month for accidents in 2007 with 84 recorded, followed by 61 in January and 56 in December. By contrast, only 31 accidents were recorded in August during the height of the summer visitor season.

Another statistic that went up in 2007 was the number of “car-deer” accidents. In 2006, there were 227 such accidents; in 2007 the number was 257. In both years, the most car-deer collisions occurred in November – 39 in 2006, and 53 in 2007.

In 2007, there were also six “other” types of car-animal crashes recorded – three involving dogs, one involving a fox, one involving a turkey and one involving an owl.

As for crimes, the numbers are decidedly down from previous years. A chart accompanying this story indicates that the largest single category of crime in 2007, and one of the leading categories in previous years, was “obstruction of justice.”
The sheriff explained that the vast majority of “obstruction of justice” cases involve violations by people on probation for previous offenses. The violations can include failure to report to a probation officer, take drug tests, or show up for court dates.

Of the 1,161 crimes recorded in 2007 in Leelanau County, the fewest number, 46, occurred in Centerville Township – one of the least populated townships in the county. The largest number of crimes, 194, occurred in Elmwood Township – the most highly populated township in Leelanau County.

Oltersdorf noted that in 2006 a popular retirement rating guide placed Leelanau County among the top locations in the nation in terms of “personal safety” because of the county’s low crime rate.

“Of course, I’d like to take credit for that,” the sheriff quipped, “but in reality there are a number of factors that account for our low crime rate.”

The number of “second homes” in the county coupled with an older, more affluent population are among the factors, the sheriff said. In addition, the geography and the size of various communities within Leelanau County are also factors.

“We’re a peninsula, so criminals are limited as to the where they can enter and exit the county – it’s easy to get cornered on a peninsula and the bad guys know it,” the sheriff said. In addition, in the county’s smaller communities, residents are more likely to report crimes and suspicious behavior than they might otherwise in larger communities, he added.

Although the crime statistics do not reflect “missing persons,” Sheriff Oltersdorf said his department remains very concerned regarding the whereabouts of Peshawbestown resident Augie Floyd, who was reported missing last year.

“Other jurisdictions are currently in charge of the Augie Floyd case,” the sheriff said, “but we consider it a very significant issue for Leelanau County that remains unresolved.”

The sheriff added, however, that motor safety and traffic issues remain the biggest single item of concern for his department and for all Leelanau residents using local roadways.

“There’s nothing law enforcement can do to make people drive more carefully,” the sheriff said. “Motor vehicle accidents account for more property damage and death than all other problems combined in Leelanau County,” he said. “People just need to adjust their mindset whenever they take to the road.”