Eau Claire — Felony cases in the Chippewa Valley remain at a five-year low, having fallen significantly from their peak levels less than a decade ago.
Eau Claire County had nearly the same number of felony filings, going from 1,326 in 2023 to 1,328 in 2024. However, the number of felony cases peaked in 2018 at 1,926 before falling to 1,849 in 2019.
Eau Claire County District Attorney Peter Rindal said he’s pleased with the steady decline in felony cases, which reflects the number of violent crimes committed.
“It indicates to us that crime rates are down,” Rindal told the Leader-Telegram. “Violent crimes across the country are decreasing. And we see that in the decrease of felonies in our office.”
Rindal stated that the decline is due to a combination of factors.
“Our law enforcement partners are doing a great job in recognizing if something can be resolved on the street, and what warrants an arrest,” commented Rindal. “Obviously, we would like to see our numbers decrease. It’s a positive message; we’re glad these numbers are trending in the right direction. However, the cases that do come through are more serious.
Rindal said his office has seen a decrease in homicide cases, but he added that they are still wrapping up some cases from 2022, and his office is working on a new homicide case that occurred a few weeks ago.
Dunn County had 451 felony filings in 2024, down slightly from 479 in 2023, and a five-year average of 464 cases.
However, Dunn County District Attorney Andrea Nodolf is currently investigating an unsolved 1974 murder as well as a case in which a person was convicted of assisting in the concealment of the bodies of four homicide victims. She also had several significant sex assault cases tried in 2024.
“In 2024, we had more cases go to trial than I ever had before,” he said.
Nodolf observed that there is simply more paperwork in these cases now, ranging from cell phone data to DNA.
“They take more time,” she explained. “I feel our workload was higher in 2024 with more cases going to trial.”
Rindal and Nodolf each have one assistant DA vacancy. Along with Rindal, he employs 11 full-time assistant district attorneys. Nodolf’s entire office consists of five attorneys. Filling a position is proving difficult, even with the state increasing wages.
“One person down, we all feel it,” she explained. “You can work for corporation counsel and avoid the stress of a trial. I’m basically trying to get a recent graduate to come to Menomonie.”
Rindal agreed that filling a vacancy is a major issue.
“Competition from the private sector is probably the biggest reason,” he said, echoing Nodolf.
In Chippewa County, only 605 felonies were filed last year, a decrease from 692 in 2023. Prior to 2023, Chippewa County had fewer than 700 felony cases in 2016, and the county’s five-year average remains 737.
Chippewa County District Attorney Wade Newell stated that cases peaked several years ago.
“In 2018, there were hundreds more referrals than any other year,” Newell told me. “That would account for high filed cases in 2018 and 2019.”
Newell agreed with Nodolf that some of the larger cases are taking longer, so he isn’t feeling a drop in cases. He stated that only a few active homicide cases “put a serious strain on the workload resources of the DA’s office.”
Newell added that he didn’t have a good explanation for why cases and referrals from law enforcement had decreased.
He employs six attorneys, including Newell, and there are no open positions.
National decrease in murders and violent crime.
ABC News reported this week that there were 5,000 fewer homicides in 2024 than in 2023, representing a 16% decrease. Nationwide, violent crime fell by 3%.
In 2024, homicides fell 40% in Philadelphia, 38% in New Orleans, 29% in Washington, and 24% in Baltimore. Both Chicago and New York City experienced 7% declines.