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Brentwood police report uptick in vehicle crime, outline enforcement, hiring and training plans
Summary
Police reported a slight increase in vehicle crimes in February, described specific incidents, detailed enforcement activity and Flock camera use, said two new officers would return the department to full staff March 10, and outlined a planned rollout of body-worn and in-car cameras and medical training with the fire department.
Police leaders told the Brentwood Board of Aldermen committee that there has been a "slight uptick" in vehicle crimes in February and described enforcement and training steps the department plans to take.
"Regarding crime, there has been a slight uptick in the last month of car crime," the police chief (name not specified) said, citing incidents on Feb. 3, Feb. 9 and Feb. 18.
The chief said two incidents occurred in neighborhoods, including a Feb. 3 theft where suspects were seen on a Ring video and sprayed the camera before attempting a break-in. The department also recorded a theft-from-vehicle at 340 Eagle Road in the Planet Fitness parking area on Feb. 9 and a separate incident in the Dierberg's lot, and on Feb. 18 police investigated back-to-back attempts to steal Hyundai vehicles on Swan and Parkside; both attempts were unsuccessful.
Traffic enforcement remains active, the chief said, reporting about 230 citations and a little more than 200 warnings during the current reporting period. The department has focused enforcement in areas flagged by resident complaints and on major thoroughfares for speeding enforcement.
On investigative tools, the chief said Flock cameras continue to aid investigations. "We had 199 Flock hits in 02/2024. At this point into 2025, we're at 19 Flock hits," he said, and noted the system is shared with neighboring jurisdictions and has helped locate a stolen vehicle.
Staffing updates: the department hired Officer Mahana about a week before the meeting and received a commitment that a second officer will start March 10. "So as we speak, if that goes well in hiring, onboarding, we will be back to full staff on March 10," the chief said.
The department also described technology and training rollouts. A body-worn and in-car camera system was approved as a 2025 capital project; the chief said the city is onboarding the system in April, training officers in April, and estimated it could be fully operational by May. "I would say May by the time we train and get this on board," he said.
Lieutenant Josh Bowersox, the department's training coordinator, described a new tactical medical training program developed with the fire department. "One of the roles is the training coordinator...we reached out to the fire department, and they have agreed to work with us over the next few months to increase the medical training for our officers," Bowersox said. Training topics include identifying stroke victims, heart attacks, diabetic emergencies, CPR, the Heimlich maneuver and life-saving interventions such as tourniquets and chest seals for stab and gunshot wounds. He said training scenarios will run in March and April and that the fire department's participation comes at no direct cost other than staff time.
No formal motions or votes relating to these items were recorded in the transcript.
