LEWISTON, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Lewiston Police Department saw a significant uptick in activity last year, with sharp increases in traffic tickets, arrests, and calls compared to 2023.
"I'm seeing things, and we're seeing things that we didn't used to, and it still has persisted," said Chief Frank Previte.
Traffic tickets issued by the department jumped by 105%, arrests increased by 51%, and calls rose by 49%.
"The traffic has just been alarming," Previte said.
The increase is driven by two main factors, according to the chief.
He said the department has received more complaints from the community about reckless driving and officers have stepped up patrols and are using license plate readers, which has led to more traffic stops.
"We get emails we get calls and complaints just again, with people running stop signs constantly in the neighborhood, or speeding, you know, down. Those are the two major ones for reckless. We've got some more. We've got a little bit more problems with the schools too, where people are passing school buses now," Previte explained.
He said he and his officers have noticed more aggressive driving behaviors than ever before.
"I've never seen driving like I have in my 30 years in law enforcement, like I have since COVID. It's just it's been a different story. I've had instances where I'm driving in a marked police car and people are passing me and I'm doing the speed limit. That takes nerve," he said.
This increase in activity comes just months after Lewiston was ranked number one for having the lowest crime rate among small towns in the state, according to The Travel magazine.
Previte also attributed the rise in arrests to bail reform.
"When you committed a misdemeanor before, you were in danger of maybe going to jail or getting something. Now, everything's being reduced, or, you know, you're getting an appearance ticket, and it's a lot less consequence," he said.
The department has seen more arrests related to larceny, domestic violence, and sexual assault since COVID.
Despite the increases, Previte wants the community to view the numbers positively.
"It can be alarming for some people because those numbers are so high that they did increase. But I would say that that's a good thing. That means we're detecting those things. Those are not numbers that are things that we're not aware of. Those are what we're discovering and what we're correcting," he said.
