Bellevue Police report overall crime down, highlight CCAT crisis interventions and light‑rail unit

The Bellevue Police Department reported a year‑to‑date drop in reported crimes and described several program expansions at the Sept. 16 City Council meeting. Chief Wendell Shirley said the department focuses on prevention, intervention and enforcement. "Our officers can use any one of these approaches to accomplish our mission," he said. Assistant Chief Andrew Popachock presented data through Sept. 8 showing an overall 28% decline in reported crimes compared with the same period in 2024, a reduction of about 1,494 reported incidents. The largest category decline was property crimes — down 34% or roughly 1,495 fewer reports — with notable decreases in motor vehicle theft (down about 69%, or 275 fewer incidents) and motor vehicle prowl (down about 40%, roughly 260 fewer incidents). Popachock noted person‑category crimes were up about 2% (14 more incidents) but said the absolute numbers are small. Popachock also described traffic‑safety enforcement and trends: speeding tickets have increased 117% year‑to‑date with 1,918 speeding tickets written, and there were 208 DUI arrests; traffic collisions are down 21%. The department reported a median emergency response time for 911 calls of three minutes, 52 seconds. Chief Shirley and staff highlighted the Community Crisis Assistance Team (CCAT), a co‑response program that pairs mental‑health professionals with police officers. "CCAT has made nearly 1,500 contacts, since its inception, and about 59% of those have been repeat contact," Shirley said, and shared an example in which a CCAT officer persuaded a person holding a firearm to surrender and accept services. The department also stood up a light‑rail policing unit (Blue) to patrol Link light‑rail stations in Bellevue; Shirley said to date there have been no major incidents on light rail and noted the unit will be important as regional connections increase. Public‑facing initiatives referenced by the department include a transparency dashboard on the city website, a firearms exchange (87 firearms collected and more than $13,000 in gift cards distributed), distribution of about 1,400 steering‑wheel locks and community outreach such as youth camps and women's self‑defense classes. PIO Drew Anderson said the department continues to hire and restructure to meet service needs. Councilmembers thanked staff for the detail and asked about implementation and equity in enforcement and planning for continued growth and traffic needs. No formal council action was required; the briefing was presented as part of routine public safety updates.