The Amador County District Attorney’s Office has just released its 2008 Annual Report, a comprehensive account of the department’s future goals and accomplishments over the previous year. The report also includes statistics on prosecutions, trends and suggested methods of improving the system in the future. “We have accomplished many of our goals in 2008, but we don’t intend to rest on our laurels- we will continue our efforts to seek justice, serve justice and do justice while maintaining the highest ethical standards,” said District Attorney Todd Riebe. According to the report, the number of felony and misdemeanor arrests has increased over the years since 1996 in conjunction with county population growth. An interesting figure of note is that misdemeanor arrests have grown steadily over the years, while felony arrest growth has been relatively smaller. Perhaps the most educative part of the report is the outline of the many departments that make up the Office’s complex inner workings. The Criminal Division alone encompasses several different departments, including narcotics, elder abuse, prison crimes, child abduction, worker’s compensation fraud and auto insurance fraud.

Of course, the report also highlights the Office’s many accomplishments, including public seminars educating citizens in the area of elder abuse, insurance fraud and internet crimes against children. Most notable of these accomplishments is the formation of the Amador County Combined Narcotics Task Force Team in cooperation with the Sheriff’s Department. The two entities also created the Amador Law Enforcement Response Team, designed to assist police departments in the investigation of major crimes committed within their jurisdictions. “Public safety is the top priority of (our) Office. Whether it is crime prevention, reducing recidivism, or helping victims…the DA’s office is proud of our contribution towards making Amador County a safer place to live,” said Riebe.