Westville public-safety reports: police and fire describe rising EMS demand, staffing gaps and vehicle issues

Westville public-safety officials presented year-end statistics and operational concerns to the Town Council.

Speaker 3 told the council the police department responded to 3,020 calls for service in 2025, which included about 794 traffic stops and roughly 175 vehicle crashes (with 58 injury crashes and two fatalities). "We had a total of 19 arrests or accepted warrants for 2025," Speaker 3 said, and the department generated 135 investigative cases. Speaker 3 reported two current vacancies, interviews completed and plans to fill at least one position in early February; new hire Mike Aspen was introduced as a deputy marshal with prior reserve experience.

Speaker 3 also noted vehicle-shortage issues: one vehicle was being repaired after a collision and another remained at the dealership for parts, creating fleet-availability problems.

Fire/EMS leadership (Speaker 2) presented a separate year-end report showing 766 total runs for 2025, with EMS accounting for about 71% of calls. Speaker 2 described repeat responses to the same addresses and rising medical-call demand related to an aging population. Speaker 2 also emphasized that mutual-aid EMS responses with the county (Port County) do not include cost recovery to the town, and that AEDs, EMS equipment and related costs are borne locally.

Officials said they are pursuing hires and training (pre-academy and academy timelines were discussed) and will continue to address vehicle maintenance and fleet availability. No formal council directive or budget vote on new public-safety funding was recorded during this meeting.