Around the Borough

(3/2011) Carroll Valley gets 2010 police report

Crime in Carroll Valley, including serious crimes saw a slight increase in 2010, according to Carroll Valley Police Chief Richard Hileman, II. He updated the Carroll Valley Borough Council with a summary of the work the department did in 2010 during the board’s monthly meeting in February.

With three sworn officers and a civilian assistant, the department is responsible for policing both Carroll Valley and Fairfield, which are comprised of roughly 4,500 people.

Calls for service increased 6.2 percent to 2,091 calls. These are incidents where a police officer is requested on the scene. They don’t include vehicle stops and routine duties that the officers perform.

Of the calls the police responded to, 242 were reported to the FBI on the Uniform Crime Report. This is a record of certain crimes that the FBI tracks and reports on annually. UCR crimes break down into Part 1 and Part 2. Part 1 crimes are the serious crimes of homicide, forcible rape, robbery, assault, burglary, theft, and arson. Part 2 crimes are other crimes except for traffic offenses. In Carroll Valley, Part 1 crimes increased 2.3 percent while Part 2 crimes decreased 23.8 percent.

Carroll Valley Police cleared 40.6 percent of their Part 1 crimes; Hileman noted that if equipment thefts from Liberty Mountain Resort are removed, then the rate jumps to 75 percent. Pennsylvania State averaged just 31.3 percent of Part 1 crimes cleared. Carroll Valley also cleared 64.2 percent of its Part 2 Crimes compared to 61.1 percent state-wide.

Overall, Carroll Valley has a crime rate that is 17 percent less than similar rural areas in Pennsylvania, according to Hileman.

Council considers whether to allow ice fishing on lakes

The confusion in state and local legislation over whether ice fishing should be allowed on the three lakes in Carroll Valley is also mirrored in the commissioners’ opinions on whether it should be allowed. They are willing to allow it, but they don’t want to be liable if someone falls through the ice.

Councilman Ken Lundberg pointed out there’s a contradiction in what the borough allows and doesn’t allow on frozen lakes. "I can’t see how ice skating [which is allowed] is any safer than fishing," he said.

Councilman Neal Abram said that if anyone falls through the ice, the borough is going to wind up being sued.

When asked his opinion, Borough Solicitor Adam Schellhase told the council, "The way the ordinance is worded now I don’t think you can keep people from fishing."

Because of the state’s desire to see outdoor parks and waterways used more often, it has agreed to limit liability of private property owners who allow the public to use their lands if the property owner voluntarily agrees to it. Using this protection the state provides could help ease some of the trepidation of property owners on the Lake Carroll.

However, the council is still studying the issue and also checking to see if there is a way to mark off the section of lake that borough owns from the privately owned sections.