Press Release From: Sheriff Andy Creech, Payette County Sheriffs Office
Payette, Idaho. According to the Uniform Crime Report, recently released by the Idaho Statistical Analysis Center, in just over the past five years Payette County has shown a 41% increase in all criminal offenses. The report also showed violent crimes alone increased by 85%.
The most significant increase in violent crime was between 2019 and 2020. In 2019, statistics present there were 40 incidents of violent crime, this number rose to 66 incidents in 2020. In addition, from 2020 to 2021, Payette County experienced a 14% increase in crime, showing violent crime offenses increased by 9% county-wide in just this past year.
According to the report, over the last five years, drug possession and drug paraphernalia offenses have increased by 103%. In addition, the report shows a 27% increase between 2018 and 2019 and a 34% increase from 2020 to 2021.
In addition, over the last 5 years:
• Crimes Against Society increased by 104%
• Crimes Against Persons increased by 16%.
• Crimes Against Property decreased by 10%.
General Crime Stats between 2020 and 2021:
• Crimes Against Persons
o There was a 1% decrease county-wide (210 total offenses in 2021)
o The unincorporated areas of Payette County decreased by 18% (65 total offenses in 2021) in this area
• Crimes Against Property
o Payette County experienced a 9% decrease (405 total offenses in 2021)
o The unincorporated county had an 11% increase (122 total offenses in 2021)
• Crimes Against Society
o Payette County had a 35% increase (901 total offenses in 2021)
o The unincorporated areas of the county experienced a 41% increase in this same area.
The U.S. Census Bureau indicates that between 2010 and 2021 the population in Payette County increased by 3,700 citizens.
The Payette County Sheriff’s Office is committed to protecting and serving our citizens through leadership and partnership within our community. With the increase in population and crime, coupled with the decrease in applicants and longevity in the law enforcement profession, this continues to strain our ability in Payette County to better serve our community. While the Payette County Sheriff’s Office has been actively recruiting to fill all open positions, we continue to respond to all calls for service and provide all of the duties that our citizens rely on us for. We ask for the community’s patience when they are calling for service. We prioritize all calls for service so that emergency calls get an immediate response. We also continue to find ways to engage the community during public events and will be placing a Deputy in the New Plymouth School district as a School Resource Officer for the first time in nearly 15 years. Sheriff Andy Creech emphasizes that “the safety of the community’s children are the number one priority for me and my staff.”
The Payette County Sheriff’s Office currently has openings for 50% of our Detention Deputy positions, 17% of our Patrol Deputy positions, and 9% of our Dispatch Deputy positions. The Payette County Sheriff’s Office offers competitive pay, benefits, and retirement. We seek applicants who want to serve and make a difference in our community. Careers in law enforcement are a rewarding way to be involved in the community in which you live. Anyone interested in pursuing a career in public service should fill out the application on our website or come into our office to talk with our administration about the opportunities to serve as a Payette County Deputy.
