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Ferguson Police report: staffing near 85%, Part 1 crimes down; department highlights outreach
Summary
Chief Doyle reported staffing at about 85 percent, a modest decline after two separations, and said Part 1 crimes were down about 7 percent from the previous month while emphasizing community events and neighborhood "roll call" outreach.
At the Aug. 26 meeting Chief Doyle delivered the Ferguson Police Department's monthly report, saying the department's staffing level is roughly 85 percent after the recent loss of two officers. Doyle said one separation was for disciplinary reasons and one occurred after a probationary period that was not completed.
Doyle said six "open corporate positions" remain and that the department has not yet appointed an assistant chief. "As of this date, that individual has not been found yet," he said, adding that he was being deliberate in the selection.
On crime statistics, Doyle said total Part 1 crimes were down 7 percent month to month and Part 2 crimes down about 4 percent. He cautioned that some percentage changes reflect small absolute numbers (for example, the difference between one and three incidents can produce a large percent change). Domestic violence, he added, remains a continuing community concern and will be a focus for outreach in October.
Doyle highlighted several recent arrests and incidents: a stabbing at 510 Airport Road (an Imo's Pizza franchise) in which an employee survived and a suspect was arrested on felony-related charges; an abandoned vehicle at a BP station that contained a felony amount of marijuana and weapons; and a domestic-assault incident in the 9600 block of Abaco in which the victim survived and the suspect was held on a $250,000 cash-only bond.
Traffic enforcement year-to-date totals included 2,934 total engagements, with 1,200 warnings (41 percent of engagements) and 1,734 citations (59 percent). Doyle said warnings were up about 119 percent year to date and that the department was emphasizing education as well as enforcement.
He described community events and outreach: a police open house with demonstrations, a police-versus-fire "Basement and Badges" fundraiser that supported the Travis Brown family, neighborhood "roll call" meetings that take roll calls to specific streets, and an upcoming National Night Out kickoff on Sept. 27 and neighborhood events on Oct. 7.
Several council members thanked the chief for outreach steps and the department's community engagement. Council members also asked clarifying questions about property-damage categories and the roll-call neighborhood visits.
