Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Fire and police present first‑quarter 2025 public safety reports; officials urge CodeRed signups and note crime trends
Summary
Thornton fire and police chiefs presented Q1 2025 public safety reports showing increased overall fire responses and mixed crime trends; officials encouraged residents to sign up for CodeRed and described targeted policing in high‑concern corridors.
Thornton fire and police officials briefed council on first‑quarter 2025 public safety statistics and ongoing response initiatives at the April 23 meeting.
Fire Chief Stephen Kelly said the fire department ran just over 4,400 calls in Q1 2025, a 9% year‑over‑year increase, including 67 total fire incidents with 24 structural fires and one fire‑related death. Kelly said 88% of structural fires were contained to the room of origin and reported increases in call volume in some districts; Station 8 remains under construction and is expected to be completed later this year.
Kelly and councilmembers discussed severe‑weather notification capacity. Kelly urged voluntary signups for CodeRed and noted the city also participates in the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System (IPAWS) that sends emergency alerts to smartphones. He said the emergency management team will coordinate HOA and community outreach and that staff will provide flyers at recreation centers in English and Spanish.
Interim Police Chief Greg Reeves compared Q1 2024 to Q1 2025 statistics. Reeves reported homicides up from one incident to two victims in one incident, a change that produced a 100% increase in the small dataset. Aggravated assaults and robberies were down year over year; vehicle thefts declined about 14%. Reeves said the department is increasing traffic enforcement and saw a 39% increase in traffic stops and substantial increases in speeding and registration citations in the quarter as part of targeted safety initiatives.
Councilmembers raised concerns about public safety on the 88th Avenue corridor between I‑25 and Washington Street. Reeves said the department concentrates resources in that corridor, uses unmarked vehicles and task forces, and will share updates with the community engagement team (CET) on ongoing operations. He also confirmed mutual aid and supplementary coverage are used in District 8 while staffing and station construction continue.
Ending: Chiefs Kelly and Reeves said the department will continue community outreach, promote CodeRed signups and report back to council and community groups on ongoing policing and response measures.
