Monroe County public safety report: call volume rises, larceny falls as training and social services expand

Unidentified Speaker 2, a police department staff member, told the Monroe County Board of Public Safety on Jan. 15 that the department ended the year with "about, what, 5.9%, almost 6% increase in call volume" over the preceding year and that different categories of calls trended up or down across the city.

The presenter highlighted a 22% decline in reported larceny compared with the prior reporting period, which another board member described as "something that stands out." Board members questioned whether enforcement patterns — for example, when and where officers are available to conduct traffic stops — can influence arrest and reporting statistics; Unidentified Speaker 2 said both enforcement presence and who gets stopped at a given time affect those numbers.

The department also presented operational details: year-end totals showed roughly 6,745 runs for the year and December had 475 runs, reflecting a roughly 33% increase for December compared with five years earlier and a 40% year‑to‑date increase over the same multi‑year period, according to Unidentified Speaker 3. Training was a focus: December training hours totaled 3,135.5 with officers completing active‑shooter, firearms, TASER virtual‑reality, tactical medical and other courses. The department reported achieving 116% of its monthly training hour goal on average for 2025.

Community outreach and social‑work activities were highlighted as concrete service outcomes. Unidentified Speaker 2 said social workers recorded 91 contacts and cited examples including reconnecting family members, restoring utilities and helping a client secure housing and medical support. "They were able to get electricity and gas back on her in her home before the weather set in," Unidentified Speaker 2 said of one case.

Fire‑safety and inspection efforts were discussed: the department installed 80 smoke detectors (an 80% completion rate toward a 100‑detector goal they set), completed 1,168 special inspections (about 52% of their 2,250 target), and noted staffing limits constrained further progress. Inspectors and personnel shortfalls were cited as reasons the department did not meet some ambitious targets.

The report included operational highlights such as a single ARB deployment for a barricaded individual and continued use of department facilities to host regional training. Board members asked clarifying questions about how data are coded (for example, whether graffiti is sometimes miscoded as vandalism) and about seasonal effects on arrest patterns.

No formal board action was required on the report; it was presented for information and discussion. The board then moved on to personnel and other agenda items.