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Sherwood police present 2024 recap, staffing changes and program priorities
Summary
Sherwood police chief delivered a year-end report highlighting calls for service, mental‑health response work, promotions and hires, technology purchases funded by the Sherwood Police Foundation and continuing challenges tied to retail theft and regional criminal-justice capacity.
Chief Dave delivered a data-focused presentation to the Police Advisory Board summarizing Sherwood Police Department activity in 2024 and outlining priorities for 2025. He reported total calls for service, described the department—s mental-health response work and said the department is pursuing targeted technology and wellness purchases as the city grows.
The report said the department handled roughly 19,300 calls for service in 2024, of which about 13,588 were self-initiated, and that traffic stops accounted for a large share of the year-over-year increase. Chief Dave said the department had been operating with fewer officers for portions of the year because of long-term injuries, FMLA and military leave.
Why it matters: the numbers frame Sherwood—s near-term staffing needs and policy choices. The chief told the board the department is planning for growth tied to the Sherwood West development and is weighing investments in personnel, technology and officer health to meet future demand.
Key department changes and programs
- Promotions and appointments: The department announced two upcoming captain promotions (Corey and Nathan Powell) to fill retirements expected in 2025. Two reserve officers (Jamieson and Jessica) are scheduled to begin and enter the academy in April, with projected solo patrol by late 2025. Those personnel changes were described as part of routine backfilling and career-path planning.
- Mental‑health response: Sherwood continues to participate in a regional Mobile/Co‑response Mental Health Response Team (MHRT). The department shares a clinician across neighboring cities (two weeks with Sherwood, two weeks with Tigard, two with Tualatin), and Chief Dave said the city pays clinicians directly for coverage. Board members discussed whether to expand hours of MHRT coverage beyond the current evening-focused shift to better cover morning incidents as well.
- Sherwood Police Foundation funding: The Sherwood Police Foundation funds equipment and programs outside the city operating budget, the chief said. Recent foundation purchases include drones, higher‑rated ballistic plates and rifle‑rated shields, rest/recovery shelters for officers and other health-and-wellness items. The foundation—s May fundraising gala supports such purchases; the foundation also offers a $250 "cadet sponsor" level and an online donation option.
- Technology and equipment priorities: The department has been adopting drones, looking at robotics for confined-space checks, camera-based license-plate readers and improvements in report-writing technology. Chief Dave flagged the recurring five-year replacement cycle for ballistic plates and said those replacement costs will need budget planning.
Operational and criminal-justice challenges
Board members discussed retail theft and the broader regional criminal-justice context. The chief said retail loss-prevention practices and staff turnover at large retailers affect call patterns and investigation timelines. He also described downstream constraints: local jail capacity and court system limits create repeated failures-to-appear (FTAs) that increase officer workload when suspects must be re-located and cases re-served.
"We do not and cannot enforce federal immigration laws or detain individuals based solely on their immigration status," Chief Dave told the board when clarifying the department—s role relative to federal authorities. He outlined the department—s permitted interactions with federal warrants and task forces, and said the department participates on drug task forces where appropriate and where funding and duties are defined.
Awards, training and community outreach
The chief recapped the department—s awards banquet, new certifications, and training milestones for 2024, including additional drone operators, a new canine handler and participation in county crash analysis and mobile field-force teams. He highlighted community engagement events (parades, National Night Out, school programming) and the department—s social-media outreach.
Data transparency and next steps
Chief Dave said he will present the packaged report to the City Council and that the department plans to publish an online version on the city—s new website. He invited board feedback on the content and on priority-setting for 2025, including MHRT expansion, equipment replacement planning, and funding sources for staffing tied to Sherwood West development.
Ending: The chief closed by asking board members to deliver suggestions by email; the packet will be refined before being posted online and presented to council.
