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Kentwood fire and police present May 2025 reports showing upticks in calls and community programs
Summary
At the June 17 Kentwood City Commission meeting, the fire and police departments reported May activity: the fire department handled several structure fires and expanded smoke-alarm installs, while the police reported increases in certain violent- and property-crime categories and higher call volume for the month.
Kentwood — At their June 17 meeting, Kentwood’s fire and police leaders presented May 2025 monthly reports showing increased calls for service and ongoing community programs.
Fire department highlights
The fire chief reported 16 fires for the reporting period and said the department handled three building fires in Kentwood in May; year-to-date structure fires totaled five, with three occurring in May. The department reported 486 EMS runs for the month, an increase of just over 7 percent year to date. The chief also highlighted prevention work: 98 smoke-alarm installs in May (513 year to date) and 20 carbon-monoxide alarms, describing the smoke-alarm program as “very popular” and noting additional alarms were supplied at no cost from the state.
The chief described several notable incidents: a closet fire in Maple Creek that the department is investigating as intentionally started; a fireworks-related unit fire on Trade Winds; and a Southgate (Southbrook) fire on May 9 that affected multiple condo units and required coordination with gas and power utilities to restore habitability for an occupant who is not ambulatory.
Police department highlights
The police presentation, delivered by the department’s reporting officer, listed 1,677 calls for service in May (up 48 from the previous month), with certain violent and property-crime categories receiving attention. The department reported two robberies in the month (one juvenile-initiated attempt, another involving retail theft and an assault on a store employee), 22 aggravated assaults (89 year to date), and three arsons. Of the aggravated assaults reported in May, several involved known suspects or domestic-related relationships. The department also reported 14 motor-vehicle-theft incidents (eight completed, six attempts), with five completed incidents involving Kia/Hyundai vehicles.
Other public-safety items
Police staff reported 171 adult arrests for the month and 44 juvenile arrests; the department completed 456 citations from 777 traffic stops and handled 42 calls at the Woodland Mall in May. Code enforcement reported 352 complaints for the month (1,166 year to date), with the top complaint types being grass and weeds, garbage/trash and junk, and unlicensed junk vehicles; 94 percent of code complaints were corrected by owners without city enforcement action.
Commission action
The commission voted to receive and file both reports.
What this means
The reports show a seasonal rise in certain incidents, an active prevention and community-engagement program (smoke-alarm installs, school and parks events) and ongoing code-enforcement activity; department leaders answered commissioner questions about response times, inspection staffing and the nature of recent fires.
