TOMPKINS COUNTY, N.Y.—Crime is almost always a topic of discussion locally, despite its relative rarity here compared to other cities and counties nearby. Still, it’s a nearly constant concern for area residents, particularly as discussions continue about what direction to take police reform in both the City of Ithaca and Tompkins County.
There’s been a narrative for the last few years, truly ramping up in the last year or so as the aforementioned police reform movements have evolved, that Tompkins County (the narrative is more prevalent in the City of Ithaca) has seen a fearsome rise in crime that threatens the health and happiness of those who live here. The numbers have not proven that sentiment to be reality, at least not as of June 2021, though that has done little to diminish the narrative or perception.
Tompkins County Sheriff Derek Osborne recently published his office’s Annual Report recounting 2021,…
