Number of emergency calls up nearly 1,000 from a year ago
By TIM GULLA Ledger Staff Writer tim@gaffneyledger.com

Cherokee County's emergency dispatchers took almost 1,000 more emergency calls in 2007 than it did the previous year while the Cherokee County Detention Center took in an additional 400 people who were arrested, according to year-end statistics released by Sheriff Bill Blanton on Friday.

Altogether, there were 21,234 calls dispatched from E-911 in 2007, compared to 20,383 calls in 2006. The dispatches rose roughly 4 percent overall.

At the detention center, 4,875 people were lodged at some point in 2007, an increase of nearly 10 percent from the 4,452 people arrested and booked into the county facility in 2006.

All of the people jailed meant more mouths to feed. The year-end report shows the jail had to dish out almost 30,000 more meals in 2007. There were 194,719 meals prepared in 2007, compared to 165,132 in 2006.

Year-end statistics showed the service of arrest warrants by deputies remained relatively unchanged from 2006 to 2007, though assistance provided by the Victims Advocate rose sharply year over year.

The Victim Advocate assisted 3,601 victims in 2007, compared to 2,259 in 2006, and 3,001 in 2005.

While up by 39 from a year ago, the 207 arrests made by deputies for criminal domestic violence in 2007 are still less than half the number of arrests for CDV made in 2004 and 2005, according to the year-end report.