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Lima City Council hears police department annual report; members ask about recruitment and drone policy
Summary
The Lima Police Department presented its 2024 annual report to Lima City Council, highlighting personnel changes, new technology and 34,162 calls for service. Councilors pressed department leaders on minority recruitment and the department's drone policy.
At a meeting of the Lima City Council, a police department representative, identified in the record as Wade, presented the department’s 2024 annual report and outlined personnel changes and new technology acquisitions.
The presenter said the department hired 11 new officers in 2024, added two new majors and promoted lieutenants and sergeants, a shift the speaker said has brought “new ideas” into command. He told councilors, “We were able to hire 11 new police officers last year,” and summarized calls for service, saying officers handled 34,162 calls in 2024.
Councilors asked about recruitment and equity in hiring. Councilor Glenn asked, “What steps are we taking in recruiting minority police officers?” The department representative said the department has a recruitment and retention team that attends job fairs and uses social media, and that staff are open to new ideas and suggestions from councilors.
Councilor Jordan asked about the drone program and whether it might be used in ways that could “violate people’s rights.” The department representative said the department has a policy governing drone use and is “following all Fourth Amendment rights” and documenting deployments and purposes. The same official described the drone program as “in its infancy” while noting interest in expanding it.
The department credited new downtown cameras with helping solve violent crimes and said it has deployed drones and refreshed the patrol fleet, which the presenter called a “morale booster.” Councilors and other speakers praised the department’s increased community engagement: Councilor Jones noted officers’ presence at community events, saying Officer Archer attended an Easter egg hunt and engaged positively with children.
No formal council action was taken on the police report or the drone policy during the meeting; the presentation was informational and followed by questions and remarks.
The meeting record shows councilors offering repeated thanks and encouragement to the department for outreach and for what they described as improved responsiveness in neighborhoods.
