Mesquite, TX – May 8, 2020 – Mesquite Police Chief Charles Cato presented the Mesquite Police Department’s Quarterly Report during the City Council meeting on May 4. The report covered crime statistics for the first quarter of 2020 and how the coronavirus is impacting department operations in Mesquite.

Robberies are down 37% this year, significantly lower than the last five-year average. Aggravated assaults have increased due to domestic violence and road rage incidents.

Chief Cato said, “Burglaries have increased at businesses, but residential burglaries have decreased because most people are at home due to the coronavirus. Typically, past crime statistics show the opposite trend.”

Thefts accounted for 63% of all reported crime committed during the first quarter, however the number of thefts has also decreased. This is because 30 to 35% of thefts that occur every month in Mesquite happen at retail establishments. Since most retail outlets are closed due to the coronavirus pandemic those numbers are down significantly.

Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Police Department has made a couple of changes, including officers switching to 12-hour shifts. This limits the number of people that are together in the building at one time. School Resource Officers (SRO) are also helping in other areas of the department since school is out. This has resulted in the Police Department saving approximately $9,500 in overtime costs.