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Marshall police report: 29,196 calls for service in 2024; department adds medical training and new testing gear
Summary
Chief Mike Donnell told the Marshall City Council the department handled about 29,196 calls last year, recorded roughly 1,589 reports and made about 326 arrests; officers completed expanded training, two are now phlebotomists and the department acquired a portable narcotics scanner and other grant-funded equipment.
Chief Mike Donnell presented the Marshall Police Department’s 2024 annual report to the Marshall City Council, saying the department answered about 29,196 calls for service last year and completed roughly 1,589 police reports with about 326 arrests.
The report mattered because it shows where patrol resources are spent and how training and grants have changed day-to-day operations. Donnell told the council that a large share of traffic stops involve men aged 18–24 and that about 40% of traffic stops registered ZIP codes outside the city limits — a pattern the department ties in part to the local college population.
Donnell described the department’s expanded training and medical capabilities. He said officers completed required cycle training, several are pursuing college or EMT credentials, and two officers completed a phlebotomy program and are authorized to draw blood in the field. “We actually have two officers now that are phlebotomists,” Donnell said.
The report said training hours reduce on-duty patrol coverage because officers must leave patrol for classroom or practical instruction. Donnell also outlined several equipment and program developments supported by grants: a pilot saliva testing program still undergoing state certification, grant-funded “jump bags” so officers can provide emergency medical care at scenes, and a handheld narcotics analyzer the department obtained through a $30,000 grant (the total cost reported was about $35,000, with the city covering the remaining amount).
Police staff described the narcotics scanner as a tool that reads through clear packaging to give an immediate, preliminary identification of substances at a scene; the department said lab confirmation is still required for court evidence. When asked about sample processing, Donnell said blood samples “go to the state lab.”
Donnell also summarized grant support: the department received roughly $156,000 in grants in 2024 for DWI enforcement, traffic enforcement, equipment and technology. He said one traffic-enforcement grant allowed the department to add an officer whose primary duty is proactive traffic stops during peak times.
The presentation included community programs run by officers using donated funds and volunteer time — “shop with a cop,” fishing events and planned “coffee with a cop” outreach — and noted mobile reporting, in-car printers and other steps intended to shorten traffic-stop processing times.
The council did not take formal action on the report; Donnell offered to make the full report available online and answer follow-up questions.
