For a city the size of River Falls at almost 16,000 residents, the number of violent and/or property crimes city-wide was decidedly low this year, peaking well above the March 30 to October 31 average the second week of September with week of September to 16 violent and 24 property crimes reported. Meanwhile, the same week saw a spike in police reports a full 42 above the total number of calls for that week, with 122 calls for service to 164 reports filed. For totals and average over the 31-week period there were a total of 190 property crimes or 6.12 per week handled by the River Falls Police Department, with 170 violent crime reports made for a weekly average of 5.483 over the 31-week reporting period. Call volume spiked the week of September 28 to October 3, with 157 calls-for-service, the next highest spike being 122 calls, which happened with two weeks.

Although 164 reports to 122 calls for July 6 to 12 may appear to be incongruous at first glance, a possible explanation could be the relative low numbers of reports filed to calls made for the weeks previous, with a peak of 44 reports to 90 calls for service the week beginning July 6, suggesting that a filing backlog is to blame for the spike in reports.

From police we shift into Fire services, with only “calls for service” being tabulate over the 31-week period. All told there were 168 Fire Department Calls-for-Service over the 31-week reporting period from March 30 to October 31, with a high of 11 calls the week beginning August 18, three weeks with nine calls (these being April 13, June 8, and August 25), and a low of two for the weeks beginning March 30 and September 7. There were no weeks with zero reported fire calls. There were 20 department members total responding to fire calls over the reporting period and two that were Fire Department EMS Assist calls, which brings us to our next City department.

From Fire to EMS statistics the reporting period shrink by a week, ending as of October 24. The switch to Allina Health as area EMS provider in place of the City took place November 16.

Regarding the EMS number, there were 1,050 total calls for EMS service from March 30 to October 24. highest number of EMS calls registered was 53 for the week of June 29 to July 5, while the lowest number was 22 calls for April 27 to May 3. The average over the 30-week period was exactly 35 calls per week.

Shifting from calls to EMS 911 call responses, there was a total of 952 call responses to EMS 911 calls, with the highest number being 48 the week of June 29 to July 6 and the lowest number being 20 the week of April 27 to May 3. The average weekly call response over the 30-week period of March 30 to October 24 was just under 32 call responses per week. For the weeks beginning May 18 and July 27, the number of calls made and responses given were equal to each other, the numbers being 35 and 36 respectively.

As to inter-facility (building to building) transfers via EMS, notable spikes occurred for the week beginning March 30 with seven transfers and July 13 with six transfers. The weeks of April 13, May 11, May 18, and July 27 had zero interfacility transfers by EMS. All told there were 83 inter-facility transfers over the reporting period in question.