Crime Rate in Mason District Decreases, But Crime Percentages Vary

The crime rate in Mason District decreased by nine percent in 2011 compared to 2010 largely due to what Mason District Station Commander Capt. Gun Lee calls “high enforcement efforts”.

The low trend in the area parallels a decrease in the average crime index nationwide, which also shows that southern states such as Virginia, North Carolina, and others are seeing decreases in crimes such as murder, rape and robberies.  Still, such efforts are generating high arrest numbers for Mason District officers in a variety of cases including Driving While Intoxicated (DWI), traffic and more, according to analysis statistics that looked at crime in Mason District from January to December 2010 and 2011.Lee shared the statistics with the Citizen Advisory Committee meeting on Tuesday night at the . 

The highest change in the two years is an increase in arson cases which rose from two in 2010 to 28 in 2011 largely due to what Lee said were two individuals setting dumpster fires in high density areas almost as many as once a week. The pair has since been arrested.

Another big difference in the years is the made by officers. Mason District placed first in DWI-related arrests in 2011 with a total of 516 arrests. DWI has been a priority for Lee since he was promoted to Commander back in 2010.

The analysis also revealed that last year, the number of prostitution offenses, which include or alcohol activity, rose by 35 percent. Lee ‘s desire for “constant, aggressive enforcement” of those offenses led to the creation of the Mason Inspection Unit. Once a month, the unit regularly goes on business checks to ensure businesses are complying all laws and state and county codes. In 2011, the unit helped close two businesses due to ABC violations.

After observing a third quarter spike in 2010, Lee said he increased the number of neighborhood patrols and the spike decreased in 2011 as a result, a fact which he was pleased about.

A second priority for the station is domestic violence cases. Although the station did not see a high increase in 2011, Lee said the numbers weren’t where he’d like them to be. He assured residents that the station is working with Fairfax County resources related to enforcing and education people about domestic violence to assist in their efforts. There was also a slight increase in abduction cases mostly due to domestic violence, which is included in the category.

Other statistics revealed included a 47 percent increase in gambling and three percent increase in fraud; a 24 percent decrease in burglary and breaking and entering cases which were down to 109 in 2011 from 544 in 2010; a 15 percent decrease in larcenies, five percent decrease on assault cases, and a 15 percent decrease in vehicle thefts. Gang activity is down in Mason District and is more prevalent in other districts. Calls for service in 2011 also decreased from 5,878 in 2010 to 5,350 calls in 2011.

The station also added a Traffic Enforcement Officer in 2011 largely due to BRAC-133. Lee said they will keep the position full-time. While he didn’t provide statistics, Lee noted that traffic citations have been “pretty high”.

Despite the low trend, Lee assured the audience that the station would continue to increase their efforts to fight crime and encouraged residents to continue to be vigilant.