Police present new NIBRS format; citywide calls down year-to-date, some theft and collision categories rise

Detective Richard Lee presented an expanded National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS) report for June and July 2025, explaining the city’s transition from the old UCR format to the more detailed NIBRS categories. Detective Lee said adult arrests fell from 42 in June to 29 in July, a 31% decrease, and juvenile arrests were zero in both months. He reported a 114% increase in moving citations (291 in July vs. 136 the previous month) and an overall 55% rise in traffic collisions driven largely by non‑injury hit-and-run reports. The department’s year-to-date total calls for service were about 15% lower than at the same point in 2024, Lee said. Lee warned that percentage changes can exaggerate small-number shifts: robberies rose from 1 to 3 (a 200% change), and reported scams increased from 1 in June to 9 in July. He also noted that burglary statistics mix residential, commercial and storage-unit incidents and that multiple unit burglaries at a storage facility can appear as multiple offenses in the data set. Council Member (name withheld in transcript) asked whether the department could supply neighborhood-level breakdowns for upcoming neighborhood-watch meetings; Detective Lee said he could produce a Monterey Hills–focused report for a neighborhood-watch meeting and that the department would present geospatial detail when possible. Commissioners raised data-display questions (for example, how the spreadsheet handles months that have not yet occurred) and requested the report show a dash or "N/A" where future-month columns now display zero. Lee acknowledged he would correct the spreadsheet formatting. Detective Lee described the diversion program used primarily for juveniles as an alternative to prosecution and said the department could add diversion metrics to future reports. The presentation was informational; no formal actions were taken.