October 18, 2013 The Dispatch/Maryland Coast Dispatch Page 11 . . Calls For Service Jump 19% During September FROM PAGE 10 last year. “We are now in the fourth quarter of the year with almost 300 less Part 1 Crimes than where we were last year, and that is significant because that is not only a reduction in crime that is the amount of officers on the streets … we are projecting just about in all crime categories we will see a reduction in the end of the year,” Police Chief Ross Buzzuro said. There have been 727 common assaults so far this year compared to 810 this time last year and 56 minor sex offenses so far this year compared to 82 last year, resulting in an overall total of 2,000 crimes as of the end of September compared to 2,295 at the end of September in 2012. That represents a 13-percent decrease after nine months. “This is very good,” Mayor Rick Meehan said. “We can look at this and plan for what’s ahead.” According to demoflush population estimates, in September the monthly average was 203,345 compared to 198,699 in September of 2012, reflecting a slight increase in population this year compared to last. Included in every monthly crime report is the use of Electronic Control Devices (ECD), or Tasers. In September, there were a total of eight incidents involving Tasers, whether it was a display of the equipment to a warning arc, target or deployment. Out of the eight incidents, there was one deployment. It has been a city policy to review all Taser incidents at the elected official level. On Sept. 29, officers were dipatched to a burglary. Upon arrival, an officer un-holstered his Taser and located the intoxicated subject standing in a room. The officer instructed the subject to show his hands, but the subject refused to listen. The officer deployed his Taser, which gained immediate compliance. There were no injuries to anyone involved. Buzzuro pointed out a couple incidents where the Taser was not deployed, such as on Sept. 9 an officer noticed a subject in possession of a knife and attempted to ask the subject about the knife. The subject ignored the officer and continued to walk away. When the officer told the subject to stop, the subject stopped, but he retrieved the knife from his pocket and immediately opened the blade of the knife. Other officers arried on the scene to assist with the situation and the subject became belligerent and started shouting at the officers in an aggressive manner. An officer targeted the subject with the Taser and gained immediate compliance. There were no injuries to anyone involved.