Despite a shooting in December 2010, the Lake Wilderness Trail is no more dangerous than any other part of the city, according to Maple Valley Police.

In 2011 there were five crimes reported on the trail. There were two strong arm robberies in April and late December, an assault in September and two physical assaults in October.

Yet, when examined closely, Sgt. James Corey said, the crimes were all minor in comparison to the highly publicized December 2010 shooting which led to Shayne Willis being charged with two counts of assault in the first degree.

“It’s my opinion that had we not had these shootings occurred none of these would have attracted attention,” Corey said. “I believe that is what has drawn so much attention to the trail because one, the trail is something that is regularly used by residents of the city. I think it (the shooting) was a real shock to the community.”

Another problem, Corey said, is that some of the crimes are falsely reported. For example, a strong arm robbery that took place New Year’s Day was originally reported as two crimes after a suspect claimed to have been robbed.

According to Corey two suspects stole a laptop from a juvenile’s house during a drinking party. The two suspects were then walking down the Lake Wilderness Trail when the stolen laptop was taken from them. This incident initially drew further concerns about the safety of the trail, Corey said.

Additionally, most of the assault cases were not what Corey considers to be especially violent, such as when a woman was slapped by a man after she had pushed him for an allegedly rude comment. In another case, a juvenile was punched when a dollar was stolen from him.

“All of them, even the two strong arm robberies, were not serious in nature,” Corey said. “You’re talking a minor assault, intimidation. It’s not anything that’s considered to be a serious crime of violence.”

Nevertheless Corey stated the police department has added more patrols to the trail which have worked to remove people who could potentially cause trouble. Due to a City Council inquiry, Corey said, they are now tracking when the patrols occur so the information is available if requested.

“We’re being more aggressive in our efforts to we catch anyone on the trail that is loitering or appears to be up to no good after the hours of darkness,” he said. “We’re doing what we can to keep the trail clear of people who are not there for legal or reasonable purpose. I hate to call it a safety emphasis because…the trail is not unsafe. It’s no more unsafe than if somebody is walking down the roadway.”

Council member Sean Kelly stated that the council’s inquiry aside, they believe the trail is still a safe to use.

“It’s just so we can kind of get some data on the hours,” Kelly said. “They’re (police) doing really good. They’ve been trespassing people off the trail, they’ve got the problem solving project going on right now. I’m really proud of the police department, of the work they’ve taken since we’ve asked them to.”