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Lakewood police report year‑to‑date crime declines; department outlines park safety, fireworks response
Summary
The police chief told council arrests and enforcement are up while most crime categories are down year‑to‑date. The department described a summer parks plan after a recent mass‑shooting incident and explained how fireworks calls are tracked during the July 3–5 period.
Lakewood Police Chief Patrick Smith told the City Council on July 14 that year‑to‑date calls for service are roughly flat with last year while arrests and targeted enforcement have risen and most crime categories have decreased.
Why it matters: the report showed measurable reductions in several violent and property crime categories, while the department described concrete operational changes — including a summer parks enforcement plan — after a mass‑shooting incident in a park earlier in the year.
Smith said officers have handled about 24,840 calls for service so far this year. Arrests are up about 8.1% overall; felony arrests are down about 6.9% (largely owing to changes in state law reclassification), gross misdemeanor arrests were up about 93.8%, misdemeanor arrests were up about 7.9% and warrant arrests were up about 16.1%.
On reported crime counts, Smith said crimes against persons were down 13.7% overall year‑to‑date: aggravated assaults down about 12.7%, simple assaults down about 12%. The city recorded no homicides so far this year. Robberies were down 33.3% and sex crimes were down about 19.1%. On property crime, most categories declined; larceny was the exception, up about 8% (Smith attributed some of the larceny activity to concentrated issues in Lakewood Town Center). Motor‑vehicle theft showed a major decline from 2023 (Smith cited a roughly 59.0% reduction). Shots fired incidents were down about 44.6%.
Councilmember Garcelo asked how to communicate reduced crime trends to residents who still perceive crime as a top concern. Smith said the department posts regular updates online, maintains a visible officer presence (including two officers assigned daily to the Lakewood Town Center) and encouraged council members to bring statistics when engaging neighbors.
Smith described changes to park policing after a mass shooting that injured seven people earlier in the period. He said the department instituted a summer plan that assigns officers to parks on weekends and hot days, coordinates with the parks department, removes illegally parked vehicles and enforces park closing times. Smith said those parks assignments are covered through overtime rather than by reducing other patrol services.
On fireworks, Smith explained the department tracks calls for service for July 3–5 each year because fireworks are legal in the city for the holiday timeframe. Many fireworks calls are canceled before officers arrive; the department recommended online reporting for non‑urgent complaints during the allowed period. Smith said he did not recall any fireworks‑related injuries reported to the police department during the tracked period; fire‑department medical contacts would provide injury data.
No formal council action was taken; the report was presented for council information and discussion.
