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Police report shows drop in emergency calls at targeted complexes; council to keep ordinance under review
Summary
After Leon Valley’s Ordinance 2023‑42 went into effect, emergency police calls to selected multifamily complexes fell from 1,265 to 918 in a year; Chief Gonzales recommended continued monitoring rather than amending the ordinance immediately.
The Leon Valley Police Department reported Tuesday that emergency calls to selected multifamily residential complexes declined after the city enacted Ordinance 2023‑42, but the department recommended continued monitoring rather than immediate code changes.
Chief Gonzales told the council the ordinance — adopted in 2023 — requires tracking emergency police calls at certain complexes and triggers heightened security requirements if a location receives 60 or more emergency calls over the monitored period. The chief reported that calls at the tracked complexes fell from 1,265 (December 2022–November 2023) to 918 in the subsequent period and said the ordinance "has had some effect."
Under the ordinance’s current language, an "emergency call" is defined to include in‑progress incidents with potential for loss of life or serious bodily injury, panic alarms and burglaries in progress. The chief summarized the ordinance mechanism: "So the ordinance says 60 or more emergency calls to any of these complexes, then we would require them to hire an on duty peace officer to provide security." Councilors discussed whether the definition should be broadened to include other high‑volume non‑emergency calls; the city attorney advised that the ordinance was drafted to limit exposure to constitutional challenge by tying an obligation to clearly defined emergency calls.
Council response and next steps: several council members asked for additional monitoring and data. Chief Gonzales said management at complexes had been active in addressing problems such as squatters and that property management enforcement plays a large role in reducing call volume. The chief recommended keeping the ordinance in place and continuing to track calls; councilors agreed to continue monitoring the ordinance’s impact and to revisit the code language later if necessary.
Ending: staff will continue to report call volumes and will bring options for ordinance amendment to council if the decline stalls or other patterns emerge.
