Crenshaw believes in community-oriented policing

Community-oriented policing principles are beginning to pay off for the Oconee Sheriff’s Office, in the opinion of third-year Sheriff Mike Crenshaw. The first-term sheriff put a cap on the year 2014 with a seven and a half page report that highlights accomplishments in his administration’s attempts to establish better relations with citizens and build partnership to make the county safer. Among them is a series of “Coffee with a Cop” programs—the most recent of which was Wednesday in Westminster. Crenshaw says he’s pleased that the numbers of certain crimes dropped in 2014 from the previous year. Homicides were down by one and there was an identical decrease in robberies. He took special delight in a decrease of 38 reports of criminal domestic violence. 2014 was the year the county’s first shelter for the abused went into operation. On the other hand, there was a 68 increase in cases of shoplifting and drugs remain a serious problem, mostly the result of methamphetamines which remains the prevalent illegal drug for a second year.