2011 Busy Year For Emergency Responders

 

            Oneida, TN (2012-01-12) Last year was a busy one for emergency responders in Oneida, as both the Police and Fire Departments experienced an increase in call volume in 2011.

            While Oneida is a small municipality, it has it share of crime.  According to Chief Darryl Laxton, the Oneida Police Department answered a total of 6,125 calls for assistance in 2011.  “The Oneida Fire Department responded to 128 calls last year, an increase of about 50 calls,” commented Fire Chief Mike Stringer.

“It’s not all about speeding tickets,” Laxton told the Oneida City Council Thursday night.  Laxton was referring to an anthology of activity by the department, noting that officers had arrested 239 adults over the year, along with another 29 juveniles.  “(We’ve seen a) increase in thefts and drug (offenses),” commented Laxton.  While the number of these crimes was up, the overall number of arrest, stated Laxton, was relatively stable.  “The most dominate problem is controlled substances,” Laxton added.  Almost half of the persons arrested for DUI last year were reportedly under the influence of drugs, other than alcohol. “It seems like everybody has a prescription for some type of pain medicine,” Laxton remarked.  Over the year, the Oneida Police Department arrested thirty persons for DUI (1st offense), five for DUI (2nd offense), two for DUI (3rd offense), and one for DUI (4th offense).

Drug offense arrests reported over the year included:  possession of a legend drug, 3; possession of schedule II controlled substance, 11; possession of a schedule III, 8; possession of a schedule IV controlled substance, 13, possession of a schedule VI controlled substance, 17; possession of drug paraphernalia, 19; obtaining a controlled substance by fraud, 14; sale of a schedule II controlled substance, 19; sale of a schedule III controlled substance, 10, sale of a schedule IV controlled substance, 6; sale of a schedule VI controlled substance, 1; promoting the manufacture of methamphetamine, 6; violation of the drug free school zone, 3; and cultivating marijuana, 2.

The most violated law of the year was theft of less than $500 with 54 charges.  Vandalism ranked second with 40 violations, followed by DUI (1st offense) at 30.  At 27 violations, theft of over $500 ranked fourth, while public intoxication ranked fifth with 26 violations.

In addition arrests, the department also issued 417 municipal citations, 83 summonses to Scott County General Sessions Court, and worked 335 traffic accidents.

The Oneida Fire Department logged 128 calls in 2011, a drastic jump over the year.  “In 2010, we answered 77 calls,” Chief Stringer told the City Council Thursday night.  Over the course of the year, the Oneida Fire Department responded to thirty two (32) alarms, twenty eight (28) vehicle accidents, twenty eight (28) structure fires, twenty (20) mutual aid requests, eight (8) vehicle fires, four (4) gas leaks, four (4) brush fires, and answered two (2) service calls.