Monroe police report falling crime in most categories, staffing increases and new equipment

Chief Brett Boland delivered a departmental overview to the Monroe City Council on Dec. 9, presenting performance measures through November 2025 and outlining staffing changes, training initiatives, equipment upgrades and officer-wellness efforts.

Boland said overall crime metrics were down in many categories compared with prior years but noted there were two homicides this year, matching 2024. He described personnel changes since April 2025: several retirements and resignations, about 12 hires this year (including laterals and trainees), and an expected total department size of roughly 45 officers once recent hires are sworn in. Boland said the department has an active candidate list and has conducted five interview panels in the year to accelerate hiring.

The chief described organizational changes including splitting narcotics and criminal investigations into separate units with dedicated lieutenants to improve focus and outcomes. He highlighted expanded training opportunities — including leadership development and hosted classes with South Piedmont Community College — and said the department had seized assets in federal cases that have returned funds to the agency.

Boland listed equipment and technology upgrades: new outer carriers and service weapons with red-dot sights, fleet cameras in about 50 vehicles, night-vision goggles obtained after an officer-involved shooting on May 31, several drones and a box drone available through partner Paladin, and a planned armored vehicle acquisition expected to be funded with asset-forfeiture money by March 2026. He said the department is pursuing a future real-time crime center and emphasized transparency benefits from body and vehicle cameras.

On officer wellness, Boland said the department uses peer support and critical incident debriefings, has a decompression room at headquarters, and is pursuing grant opportunities (including with the U.S. Attorney’s Office) to provide on-site counselors two days a week so officers can build trusted relationships with mental-health professionals. He described a model in which counselors would ride with officers to establish familiarity rather than operate solely from command offices.

Council members asked questions about lateral hires, the department’s use of clinicians for nonviolent crisis response, hostage negotiator training and school resource officer coverage. The chief named two negotiators (Kyle Purser and Captain Holt) and said three full-time elementary SRO positions were added; the department currently provides SRO coverage for about 10 schools including a contract arrangement for South Piedmont Community College campuses.

Council members thanked the department for the presentation. The Council recessed later in the meeting.