Chief Windstrom updated the Public Safety Committee on crime trends and department initiatives, reporting declines in auto thefts and noted continued work on violent‑crime investigations and community responses.

“Good news continues for auto thefts,” Windstrom said, showing a sustained downward trend from the historic highs in 2022. He attributed the improvement to a combination of enforcement, partner programs and community engagement, including vehicle‑security campaigns and assistance from manufacturers to address faulty ignition systems.

Windstrom walked members through other metrics: robbery totals declining, no clear statistical pattern of sustained increases in assaults, 9 murders year‑to‑date compared with 10 at the same point last year, and a high clearance rate on several homicide investigations. “Of these 9 murders, the first 6 on the list have been closed by arrest and prosecution,” he said, and described detectives’ caseloads as low enough to allow more thorough work on open cases.

He also highlighted gun recoveries and illicit‑gun enforcement, an expanding victim services operation led by Clarissa Novak, and a victim response team that rides with patrol to provide immediate advocacy. “Every one of these incidents is a potentially very serious or even deadly situation,” Windstrom said when discussing recovered illegal guns and officer interventions.

On drug‑overdose response, Windstrom and committee members discussed Narcan usage. The chief said Narcan carried by officers and distributed in the community has saved lives and likely reduced fatal overdoses; last year the department recorded 11 fatal overdoses and the current year was trending lower, he said.

Operational and prevention efforts described included code compliance work, targeted engagement with problem locations, partnerships with community groups working with youth, and private‑sector assistance from vehicle manufacturers. Windstrom said the department has assigned officers to code compliance and is working with business owners, property owners and community partners to design long‑term solutions for repeat problem locations, including measures to deter car‑meetups and “pop‑up” parties that can escalate into violence.

On community policing, Windstrom said the department completed interviews and selected the first five community policing officers; he also said the city will outfit those officers with body‑worn cameras. The police chief described the effort as “firing on all cylinders” and said he expects the program to show results over the next year.

Committee members praised the statistics and asked about sustaining the improvements and how to reach under‑served victims and neighborhoods. No formal committee action or vote was recorded during the presentation.