Fairfield violent crime statistics
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007
Homicide 3 0 0 1 3 1
Forceible Rape 3 6 6 6 12 20
Robbery 12 16 28 37 55 42
Aggravated assualt 56 90 91 79 95 161
Even after a trio of homicides in Fairfield this year, residents say they still feel safe and have confidence in the police — although the department’s procedures might be due for a review, a city councilman said.
Michael Oler is not only the chair of the council’s public safety committee, he is himself a former police officer, having served Fairfield’s force for 25 years.
“Obviously, I’m shocked we’ve had this many homicides in Fairfield. It’s never happened before, and Fairfield’s a very safe community. Why are we having these issues?” he asked. “It’s a concern the whole community has.”
The first homicide this year was of Damien Terrell Taylor, 29, in a shooting at a Winton Road apartment complex. Chelsea Johnson, 15, followed in April, and the most recent incident was the death of Joseph Oakley, 19. Johnson had been stabbed, and Oakley was shot, with both of their bodies being found in a creek behind the former Heritage Glen apartments on Pleasant Avenue. None of the crimes has yet been solved.
Despite the homicides this year, statistics ending in July of this year show that Fairfield still has a low violent crime rate, compared to Hamilton and Middletown, and even the state as a whole. The numbers show that Fairfield has had 2.9 incidents of violent crime per 1,000 people. By contrast, Hamilton has had 6.6 and Middletown has had 6.7, while the whole state has had 3.2.
This is not the first year that Fairfield has seen three homicides. There were also three in 2008, although those were at two crime scenes. Two people, Evelvin Moreales and Marlon Enamorado-Gomez died in a gang-related shooting at the former Casa Tequila restaurant in July of that year, and in an unrelated incident, lawyer Margaret “Missy” Allen was found dead that same month. The killers in each case were caught and sentenced to death, or life in prison without parole. There was one homicide each in 2007 and 2009, and none in 2010 and 2011, according to statistics.
“When you look at the numbers on a historical basis, violent crime is very clearly a minor piece of the overall crime comparison,” police Chief Michael Dickey said earlier this year, noting that property crime is a more significant problem. Property crime refers to such incidents as burglary and theft, “and even there we continue to go down year after year,” the chief said.
In the wake of the most recent deaths, however, “You have to take a look at the different polices and procedures and the crime prevention measures we take,” Oler said.
Oakley’s grandmother, Anna Norman, has criticized police for not initially reporting that Oakley’s death was a homicide, even though he suffered several gunshot wounds. However, Oler said such oversights are not unheard of.
“From the public’s view, yes, it seems, how would you miss that? … However, I’m always about the other side of the story,” Oler said. “I’m not there, the public’s not there. So there are instances where the evidence should have been evident, but it wasn’t evident at the time.”
Residents interviewed this week at the Patterson Road shopping center near the Johnson and Oakley deaths said they still felt safe in that area.
“I’ve only been here a month. Overall, I feel pretty safe. I feel stuff like that is wrong, and I hope they find out who did it,” said Ralph Carter.
Resident Scott Camden said, “I don’t know what to think about it. I don’t really feel unsafe, though it’s tragic.”
Patrick Baker, an area doctor said, “I have confidence in the force, and I think it’s an isolated incident. It unfortunately happened, but the frequency is probably not all that prevalent, so I feel safe.”
While resident Becky Hampton said she still feels safe, “I’m kind of more alert, I guess. Some people, I think, get in a rut and don’t pay attention.”
Area business managers said they also have not had their establishments adversely affected by the latest incident. The apartments adjacent to the creek where Johnson and Oakley were found plan to hold another open house within two weeks for their remodeled units, said Carissa Penhorwood, the leasing manager. The complex, now called Creekside Village of Fairfield, is undergoing a $4 million rehabilitation after struggling with a fire and low occupancy rate.
However, in the aftermath of the shooting, “We’re looking at increased security and looking to see what we can do to try to prevent something like that, whether it be through extra fencing or lighting,” Penhorwood said.
Planet Fitness, a 24-hour gym on Patterson Drive, has not seen a drop in business, said its manager, Ellie Walls. There was some chatter the day of the shooting, but it dissipated, she added. The two-year-old gym sees 700 to 1,000 people a day, she said.
Oakley’s mother, Angie, is trying to raise funds for funeral expenses. A memorial fund has been set up at Fifth Third Bank. Oakley was a 2011 graduate of Fairfield City Schools, where he attended the Options Academy.
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