Southwest Station: 5,073 calls in September; deputies seize fentanyl, firearm during proactive stops

The Temecula City Council on Oct. 14 received a public safety report from the Southwest Station summarizing September activity, including 5,073 calls for service and multiple proactive enforcement contacts that produced significant drug and gun seizures.

Captain Regali, speaking for the Southwest Station, said priority‑1 (emergency) response times averaged just over five minutes and that priority‑2 and priority‑3 response times were roughly 10 and 17 minutes respectively. The station recorded 69 priority‑1 calls during the month, with juvenile medical aids the single largest category of priority‑1 incidents.

Regali highlighted two proactive traffic stops in Old Town that led to arrests and seizures. During one stop, deputies arrested a driver they suspected of DUI; a vehicle search produced an estimated six ounces of suspected fentanyl in larger packaging plus an additional 4.4 grams of fentanyl and 1.1 grams of methamphetamine on the suspect’s person. Regali said, “The amount seized in this case represents thousands of potential lethal doses,” and estimated the recovered fentanyl’s street value at about $10,000.

In a second traffic stop in Old Town, deputies discovered a loaded Ruger .22 caliber handgun in the center console. The driver, a convicted felon with prior arrests noted in records checks, was booked on multiple felony charges including possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of ammunition.

Regali told the council these results reflect proactive policing by Metro deputies assigned to Old Town, and he emphasized the value of traffic stops and voluntary contacts that are not simply responses to dispatched calls. “The deputies got out of their car, they made a traffic stop, or they contacted somebody of their own accord, resulting in the arrest of an offender,” he said.

Why it matters: the seizures and arrests illustrate the station’s combined response and proactive efforts to remove dangerous drugs and weapons from circulation in high‑traffic areas, particularly Old Town, which is frequented by residents and visitors.

Ending: The station did not propose new policy changes at the meeting; officials thanked deputies for their work and noted continued emphasis on proactive enforcement in high‑visitor areas.