Six months into 2015, the Brookhaven Police Department has received more than 8,000 calls between Jan. 1 through June 30.

Brookhaven Police Chief Bobby Bell said his department has been more active in the past six months than in the past 33 and half years he’s been on the force.

The total calls for 2014 came in at just over 7,000. Although some of the difference can be attributed to a new system that logs calls, the police department has been significantly busier.

Much of their labor goes toward deterring property crimes and also dealing with personal and family situations that did occur as often before; things such as domestic violence, child abuse and juvenile crime.

Bell emphasized that reported calls can be misleading because in many situations a call comes regarding one subject but can turn out to be something entirely different.

Among the more violent crimes, BPD received 68 calls about assault (aggravated, domestic violence, policemen or simple), two calls about juvenile abuse, 100 calls about discharging firearms, 83 calls regarding fights, two calls for rape, two calls for sexual assault and one shooting.

The department also received a large number of calls for other things. Reports cite 125 calls for vehicle accidents, 18 calls regarding intoxicated drivers and 62 calls for reckless driving.

There were 133 calls for burglary (attempted, business, residential and vehicle), 12 calls for robbery — seven armed and five simple, 61 calls about shoplifters, 20 calls about stolen vehicles, 12 calls about stolen guns, 173 calls regarding theft and 73 reports of vandalism.

“Our first six months of this year has been a challenging six months. We’ve had some things happen in Brookhaven that hasn’t happened before, such as a double homicide that caused sad feelings throughout the entire community,” Bell said. “For a lot of officers this was their first time experiencing something like that, but they handled it as best as any other department.”

Bell talked about the March shooting involving the death of a father, Jermaine Sims Sr., 31, and his daughter.

“We have to stay proactive on all these things,” Bell said.

With the summer approaching an end, Bell seeks to act on the need for proactivity by continuing a program, started in May of this year, which seeks to educate high school boys on the important of safety and responsibility within their community.

“We’re going to have a meeting before school starts,” Bell said. He said organizers would be approaching city men who carry themselves in a respectful manner before school starts.

He said the city is fortunate to have a lot of young men who’ve graduated and are doing well.

“We do realize that the only way we can make this community safe is if we continue to have community support,” Bell said. “And we also need community eyes.”

As the next six months of 2015 unfolds, Bell looks forward to building relationships with the city’s young men and community in an effort to keep crimes at bay.

Editor’s note: A mid-year crime report for calls received by the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will appear in a later edition.