WCAX.COM Local Vermont News, Weather and Sports-Drug Related Crime Dips in St. Albans

Drug Related Crime Dips in St. Albans

St. Albans, Vermont - October 30, 2009

Officials say the big crime problems in the small city of St. Albans are on the decline.

When Police Chief Gary Taylor said two years ago that the amount of cocaine in the city was "startling," it was hardly news to residents desperate to ease the city's skyrocketing crime problems. They were sick and tired of the drug driven crime that included car break-ins, burglaries, thefts, robberies and drug deals going down in plain view in and around the city green at night.

Senator Leahy targeted federal crime fighting funds for St. Albans over the last year that were used in part to pay for a series of drug dealer round-ups. And Chief Taylor said the work has paid off with a dramatic decrease in crime.

In 2007 and 2008, St. Albans had the highest crime rate in the state. 138 crimes reported per 1000 residents. Fifty-percent higher than second-place Burlington, which had 95 crimes per thousand people. Reports through June of this year show that crime has decreased in St. Albans. The city is now third behind Brattleboro and Rutland City and has seen its crime rate drop to 90 per 1000.

Taylor says an anonymous phone message from a well-known local drug dealer the day after one of the raids convinced him the increased enforcement efforts were paying off. "A female who complained that I was partly responsible for the crime because I was making the drugs unavailable and extremely expensive and thus perpetuating the crime problems in the St. Albans area," Taylor said.

Taylor says the numbers show robberies and violent crime is down, but some property crimes including burglaries are still too high.

St. Albans residents we spoke with gave the new crime numbers a mixed review -- including some skepticism. "I don't think it's declined. I actually think if anything they have increased," said Sara Luneau.

"I really haven't noticed that much of a crime problem in the city. I mean I read about it and it makes me a little bit afraid, said Cheryl LaClair.

"I think that crime really is everywhere," said Lori Jordan. "It just seems like people get caught more in St. Albans."

But Chief Taylor is certain the city's crime problems are easing. "So we continue to put pressure on them. I think that we've made things difficult for the bad guys to operate here."

Brian Joyce - WCAX News