Since Jan. 1, 2010, the City of Bishop crime rate has dropped dramatically for the most part of this year compared to 2009, according to Bishop Police Chief Larry Lawrence, who said that so far this year the Bishop Police Department has generated 29 theft reports with one involving a juvenile, 25 assault reports that range anywhere from simple assaults to aggravated assaults to sexual assaults with 10 of these involving juveniles.

“We have taken four reports that range from forgery, fraud, credit card abuse to identity theft. The reported burglaries have dropped also,” Lawrence said. “We have taken seven burglary of habitation and building reports and five burglary of vehicle reports. We’ve had one reported robbery that once it was investigated, it was learned that the clerk was actually involved.”

Reports also include one reported injury to a child, 11 criminal mischief reports, six narcotics arrests in which two involved juveniles, two reported unauthorized use of motor vehicle reports and numerous warrant arrests and from year to date, 57 incident reports.

During this same time frame in 2009, the Department generated 48 theft reports, 15 assaults with two involving juveniles, five forgery / fraud and identity thefts, 26 burglary of habitation and building reports, six burglary of vehicle reports, one injury to a child, seven criminal mischief, four narcotics arrests with two involving juveniles, one unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and two warrant arrests.

All information is based on the Bishop Police Department call log and time frame of January 1, 2010 to current.

“I believe the difference in numbers is due to the fact that this year, 2010, the Bishop City Council generated another police officer position and we are now able to have two officers on the street most of the time which allows for increased patrol,” Lawrence said. “With the economy the way it is and with school out and the kids looking for things to do, I expect most of the numbers to increase during the summer months.”

According to Lawrence, the most recent major crime that was reported on Monday, May 31, 2010 at approximately 11:30 p m., when the Bishop Police Department received a call from a Bishop resident who stated that they had just driven past the Times Market store located at East 6th Street and Bypass 77.

The caller stated that as she and her husband drove by the store, they saw two boys looking suspicious standing in front of the store’s front door while the store was closed for business.

The caller stated she recognized one of the boys as being Nathan Ramos, a Bishop resident.

As Lt. Robert Morales and Officer Luis Ruiz were in route to the store, the Bishop Police Department received another call from an alarm company that informed the dispatcher that the burglar alarm was activated at the Times Market.

Upon the officer’s arrival, they found the store’s front door glass shattered and saw 17-yearold Nathan R. Ramos and a Kingsville man, 22-year-old John Robert Wysack leaving the store on bicycles.

Both were taken into custody for burglary of a building and transported to the Nueces County Jail.