Norwalk police report declines in several major crimes, flag overtime and staffing metrics
January 26, 2026 | Norwalk City, Fairfield, Connecticut
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Chief Walsh told the Norwalk Police Commission on Jan. 26 that several categories of major crime declined in 2025 while the department saw growing overtime and notable operational workload.
"We ended 2025 with 79,561 calls for service," Chief Walsh said as he reviewed the department's year-end report, which showed commercial burglaries fell to 15 in 2025 from 25 in 2024 (a roughly 40% drop), robberies declined from 17 to 13, and serious assaults fell from 11 to 2. Walsh also reported one shooting with a victim in 2025, down from three the prior year, and said there were no homicides in 2025.
The chief flagged personnel and budget pressures alongside those declines. He reported 181 sworn personnel as of Dec. 31, 2025 (two short of the stated full‑staff level of 183), said December sick‑day usage totaled 219 days, and noted patrol overtime was up 46% from 2024. "Forty‑five percent of the overall overtime budget was spent at the midway point of the fiscal year," Walsh said, and the department has made transfers from specialized divisions into patrol to reduce overtime spending.
Operations detail showed the detective bureau opened 40 cases in December, including investigations into burglaries, larcenies and death investigations that were determined to be from natural or medical causes, and the Special Services unit executed search warrants at local smoke shops, seizing 3.5 pounds of marijuana and making multiple arrests. The department reported 188 total arrests and 5,804 calls for service for December specifically.
Walsh also reported the department achieved State of Connecticut Tier 3 accreditation in January and provided commissioners with supplemental financial and administrative reports. Commissioners asked for a minor typographical correction in the printed statistics, which the chief acknowledged on the record.
The commission did not take additional action on the crime numbers at the meeting; chief and staff said they will continue reallocating resources and monitoring overtime and sick‑time trends.
"We ended 2025 with 79,561 calls for service," Chief Walsh said as he reviewed the department's year-end report, which showed commercial burglaries fell to 15 in 2025 from 25 in 2024 (a roughly 40% drop), robberies declined from 17 to 13, and serious assaults fell from 11 to 2. Walsh also reported one shooting with a victim in 2025, down from three the prior year, and said there were no homicides in 2025.
The chief flagged personnel and budget pressures alongside those declines. He reported 181 sworn personnel as of Dec. 31, 2025 (two short of the stated full‑staff level of 183), said December sick‑day usage totaled 219 days, and noted patrol overtime was up 46% from 2024. "Forty‑five percent of the overall overtime budget was spent at the midway point of the fiscal year," Walsh said, and the department has made transfers from specialized divisions into patrol to reduce overtime spending.
Operations detail showed the detective bureau opened 40 cases in December, including investigations into burglaries, larcenies and death investigations that were determined to be from natural or medical causes, and the Special Services unit executed search warrants at local smoke shops, seizing 3.5 pounds of marijuana and making multiple arrests. The department reported 188 total arrests and 5,804 calls for service for December specifically.
Walsh also reported the department achieved State of Connecticut Tier 3 accreditation in January and provided commissioners with supplemental financial and administrative reports. Commissioners asked for a minor typographical correction in the printed statistics, which the chief acknowledged on the record.
The commission did not take additional action on the crime numbers at the meeting; chief and staff said they will continue reallocating resources and monitoring overtime and sick‑time trends.
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