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Holmen is seeing a big percentage increase in crime reports, especially among juveniles, although the actual number of crimes reported remains relatively small.

A review of police department records indicates a 24 percent increase in police calls and dramatic increases in some categories. The good news is there have been no homicides, rapes or aggravated assaults in the periods measured — June 2008 compared with June 2007. The Holmen Police Department did not have year-to-date numbers available for review.

Comparing the month of June 2008 with June 2007, Holmen saw a 372 percent increase in juvenile arrests, with 85 in 2008 compared with 18 in June 2007. There was a 286 percent increase in adults arrested, with 27 adults arrested in June 2008 compared with seven in June 2007.

Burglary, theft and motor vehicle theft reports also climbed 250 percent, 120 percent and 100 percent, respectively. There were seven burglaries in June 2008 compared with two in June 2007; 11 thefts in June 2008 compared with five in 2007; and one motor vehicle theft in June 2008 compared with none in 2007.

Other crimes increased as well. There was a 20 percent increase in animal complaints with 12 in June 2008 compared to 10 in June 2007. In addition, there was a 133 percent increase in domestic disturbances, with seven in June 2008 compared with three in June 2007.

In addition to juvenile arrests, there was a 243 percent increase in calls regarding trouble with juveniles. In June 2008 there were 96 such calls compared with 28 in June 2007.

According to Holmen Police Chief Mike McHugh, the huge increases in juvenile arrests might be attributed to a stepped-up truancy enforcement.

“This past year we’ve seen huge increases in the truancy problem,” McHugh said. “We’ve made more of an effort at the schools to crack down on truancy. More citations were issued. It is recorded as a juvenile crime and an arrest. In addition, we have a lot of juvenile calls, especially in the summer months the juvenile calls are always up.”

McHugh said part of the increase can be attributed to acquiring additional police officers. In June 2007, the department was short-staffed. By June 2008, the vacancy had been filled. “An extra person can generate an x percentage in arrests,” McHugh said.

The increases might also be attributable to population changes. “We see our calls for service increase because we grow every year in population,” McHugh said. He also speculated that comparing one month to another would not reveal any real patterns. “June 2007 might have just been a quiet month,” he said.

“I don’t see any huge trend that makes it look worse this year compared to other years,” McHugh said. “In the summertime, starting about two weeks after school gets out, we start seeing juvenile calls go up. But I’m not seeing any trends that are influencing anything.”