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Police chief reports year-over-year increase in calls; announces promotion and hires
Summary
Police Chief Tom Mason reported an annual increase in combined calls for service and announced a promotion and two new hires; the council asked about reasons for higher call volume.
Police Chief Tom Mason told Twinsburg City Council that the department saw an increase in calls in 2024 and briefed council on arrests, traffic enforcement and recent personnel changes.
Mason said the combined total of police and fire calls for the year 2024 was 35,417 — 1,488 more than in 2023 — and that December 2024 showed a month-over-month increase (the transcript provided a December figure read aloud but with unclear formatting). He described enforcement activity in December that included narcotics-related arrests, OVI enforcement and traffic stops; the chief also reported one fatal accident in the December period.
Why it matters: Rising calls for service can affect staffing, overtime costs and service levels; the council pressed the chief for clarification on the increase and staffing moves.
Mason announced that Jeff Hayes was promoted to sergeant (he is in his 23rd year with the department) and said the department made two new hires: lateral hire Adam Singerman (15-year law enforcement veteran) and cadet Josh Powell, who will attend the police academy and begin field training after academy graduation. Singerman and Powell were reported to begin training the week of Feb. 9.
During council follow-up, a member asked whether the numeric increase in calls referred to police only or to combined police and fire calls; Mason clarified that the numbers he reported were a combined police and fire total. He noted population growth and an older population mix as possible contributors to higher call volumes and said the department is continuing recruitment through lateral hiring and academy candidates.
The chief provided these counts from December 2024 as read into the record: seven drug-possession or drug-related offenses, two domestic-violence calls, about 20 driving-under-suspension or invalid-license cases, 18 operating-under-the-influence cases, six warrant arrests, four weapons offenses and roughly 322 traffic stops. Mason said 30 total accidents occurred in December, six of which involved injury and one of which was fatal. Where transcript numbers were unclear on transcription, this article flags them as reported but retains the clearer annual totals Mason provided.
Mason closed by praising department personnel for their work and noting the department’s testing process for promotions produced a strong eligibility list.
The council followed with routine business and later moved to executive session.
