FOXBORO - Deputy Police Chief John Chandler says the department had a busy year in 2008, and he expects the trend to continue.

Chandler reported that the numbers for 2008 were well up over 2007, including the number of incidents his officers responded to, the number of people they took into custody and the number of times they were dispatched traffic accidents.

The number of reportable incidents called in to the police department for investigation rose by 1,212 between 2007 and 2008, Chandler said - from 16,727 calls to 17,939, according to the department's figures. "And that does not reflect the incidents that the officers initiate on their own," Chandler added.

Police in 2008 also placed 288 more people into custody, including criminal arrests and those brought into protective custody, than the did in 2007 - from 759 to 1,047.

The total number of arrests might appear high for a small suburban community, but it includes all those taken into custody during concerts and sporting events at Gillette Stadium during the calendar year. Chandler also said that drivers were more careless in 2008 than they were in 2007, with reported motor vehicle accidents up by 43, from 317 to 360 on the tow's roadways. The deputy chief, who is filling in for Chief Edward O'Leary while he is out on sick leave, said the numbers reflect "an increase as far as the number of people coming to town."

Chandler noted, however, that the influx "cannot all be attributed to Patriot Place" which opened in 2008.

He also said that, as the economy sinks, crime usually rises. And Chandler does not expect the police activity trend to reverse itself any time soon.

"In the next couple of years, when more businesses and residences go online, and as more people come to our community, we will see an increase in incidents," he said.