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Riverton Police introduce K-9 Atlas; chief cites property-crime uptick and requests two officers
Summary
Police introduced a new canine, Atlas, and summarized first-quarter calls-for-service and crime statistics. Chief Taylor asked council to consider two additional officer positions to support a special enforcement team and backfill patrol duties.
Police Chief Taylor introduced the department’s new police canine, Atlas, and reviewed calls-for-service and crime statistics from the first quarter of 2023–2025.
Chief Taylor said the department used community input to name the dog and asked councilors to take photographs for the department’s yearbook. He then presented quarterly comparisons for calls for service, property crimes, jail bookings, and traffic citations. The slides showed month-by-month counts with modest increases in some categories and declines in others; Chief Taylor attributed seasonal differences and outreach work as likely factors.
On enforcement resources: Chief Taylor asked the council to consider funding two additional officers. He said the department’s special enforcement detective and the set team have produced useful case leads, apartment‑complex outreach, and targeted enforcement, but the detective currently works solo and needs a partner for safety and to expand efforts. “The one thing that I would ask for the support is the additional officers that I’ve requested… to provide a partner for the set team detective that’s working solo,” he said.
Council reaction: Councilmember Broker asked for data tying the set team to measurable outcomes and requested case studies that could be used in budget deliberations. Councilmembers praised the community-oriented policing coordinator (Mike Ashley) and a new set team for contributions to crime prevention. Several councilors said falling or stable crime numbers should be framed as success and asked staff to provide specifics on how two more officers would change coverage or case capacity.
Background and context: Chief Taylor explained the department had increased jail bookings and citation arrests in some months and pointed to seasonal vulnerabilities (unlocked vehicles in winter) and transient traffic through the city as contributors to certain types of crime. He said the department has been coordinating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) district staff for individuals taken into custody for criminal offenses.
Next steps: Chief Taylor said he would provide councilmembers with data-driven examples of special-enforcement team outcomes and estimates of what two additional officers would deliver in patrol coverage and case work ahead of budget deliberations.
Sources and evidence: The Chief’s presentation slides and council Q&A were recorded in the meeting transcript and included monthly call totals for January–March across three years.
