SHELBY COUNTY PROSECUTOR�S OFFICE 2007 YEAR-END REPORT During 2007 the Criminal/Juvenile Division of my office handled over 6,406 cases. That number does not include Child Support cases. Included in that caseload are 196 Major Felony prosecutions (Murder, Class A, B & C felonies); 449 Class D felony prosecutions; 1,447 Misdemeanors; and 3,244 Infractions. In addition to those cases we also prosecuted 203 Juvenile matters, and filed 493 Search Warrants and Miscellaneous Criminal Cases. An additional 374 criminal cases and investigations were processed by the Prosecutor�s Office that did not result in formal criminal charges. Overall, I believe that 2007 was a good year for law enforcement in Shelby County. We managed to hold the line on major felonies committed in Shelby County. We continue to enjoy one of the safest places to live in Indiana, in spite of the fact that we share a common border with metropolitan Indianapolis/Marion County. In fact, the Progressive Farmer magazine recently ran an article on the Best Places to Live in Rural America. The story also appeared on AOL.com�s website. Under the category of �Lowest Crime Rate�, Shelby County, Indiana was listed #8. One other positive note from last year was a significant increase in the number of class �D� felony cases filed, up 26.5% from last year. In particular, �D� felony Operating While Intoxicated cases went up 38% over the previous year. Drunk driving continues to be an enforcement priority for this office. I believe that is reflected in these statistics. Last year, in collaboration with the Shelby County Sheriff�s Department and the Shelbyville Police Department, we adopted a Fatal Alcohol Crash Team (F.A.C.T. team) approach to dealing with fatal vehicle crashes and those involving serious bodily injury. Each F.A.C.T. team includes a detective, prosecutor, accident reconstructionist, drug recognition expert and crime scene technician. The teams are on call 24 hours a day. They are dispatched to every fatal or potentially fatal traffic collision in the county. In essence, we treat each of theses crashes as a crime scene and as a potential homicide case. The concept has worked out very well. I believe that it has had an effect on the number of, and quality of, the D.U.I. cases we have seen in the past year. As the elected Prosecutor, I can�t emphasize enough how lucky we are to live in Shelby County. You would be hard pressed to find a more dedicated, more professional group of law enforcement officers anywhere in the State of Indiana. My deputies and my administrative staff continue to do a great job for the citizens of Shelby County. The quality of the officers that we have to work with makes our job that much more enjoyable.� � R. Kent Apsley | 
