I thought the mayor was referring to the increase in crime due to the increase of population (who happen to be oil workers).
During the month of August, Mohr presided over 27 civil cases, 94 city cases, 27 from the Department of Transportation, 54 from the sheriffs office, 32 from highway patrol and six from fish and game.
http://www.sidneyherald.com/articles/2011/10/15/news/doc4e99b71a293dd391874768.txt
While
Sidney's crime rate may be lower than that of Montana and the nation, it is still more than what its residents were accostomed to, and they may have felt it has
mushroomed.
I think what he was trying to say is that Sidney was no longer a place where you could go anywhere in the town at any time of night or day, but he was tactless in his choice of words. I thought I'd read that he was a friend of both Gary and Sherry (rumor until I find that information), in which case, I will cut him some slack.
Read more:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...ers-teachers-disappearance.html#ixzz1jYcbcGSk