OTTAWA COUNTY, Michigan — According to the Annual 2021 Crime Report in Ottawa County, call volumes, arrests, and certain crimes trended back upwards compared to 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic was in full swing.
A big concern for the sheriff's office is the rise in crimes against children including sexual assault and physical abuse.
Domestic violence including strangulations are also on the rise, along with motor vehicle theft, and weapon and handgun complaints, mainly stolen from private people or gun shop break-ins.
The prosecutor's office mentioned there's a 45% increase in weapon violations through their office.
The sheriff's office found for the first time two 'ghost guns' in an active, shooting case in Holland this year.
According to the ATF, ghost guns are do-it-yourself guns made from untraceable building blocks that can be found online or at a gun show.
"It's a non-traceable gun so again they're not registered," said Sheriff Steve Kempker of the Ottawa County Sheriff's Office. "How many are out there; we probably have no idea. I know people with federal firearms licenses can build a gun but again there are required to register some of those guns."
There was one homicide last year compared to five in 2019 and the sheriff says most major crimes are being solved.
Dealing with mental health incidents is a daily call for deputies. The county partnered with County Mental Health and formed a Critical Response Team in October last year.
Since then, they've had about 500 contacts with individuals suffering a mental health incident.
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