Easthampton police report: arrests down, code complaints spike

The Easthampton Town Police Department’s annual report shows a drop in overall arrests alongside a rise in noncriminal code complaints. According to the report cited on East End News, total arrests decreased from a 2023 high of 592 to 460 in 2025, while town code violations rose roughly 50% to 428, the highest number recorded across the past five years.

The report says driving-while-intoxicated arrests numbered 133 in 2025, approaching levels seen three years earlier. It also records eight drug overdoses last year, one of them fatal; seven civilian complaints (up from four the previous year); and six incidents involving use of force, about half the total recorded three years ago.

In a statement included with the report, Police Chief Michael Sarlow said the department is “made up of dedicated professionals who work diligently to protect and serve the citizens of East Hampton Town” and that it is “committed to providing the most efficient and professional police services possible.” The report text with Chief Sarlow’s comment was read on the broadcast by host Christine Samson.

The town’s statistics highlight a shifting mix of enforcement and noncriminal enforcement work: while arrests declined overall, administrative complaints and noncriminal caseloads rose. No formal council action or vote was reported on the program during the broadcast; the episode presented the report’s figures and the chief’s statement. The department’s report was the source for the figures cited on air.