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South Gate Police report 2024 statistics: staffing shortfalls and increased calls for service
Summary
Police Chief Ira Kawi told the council the department handled about 45,300 calls for service in 2024, recorded a 5% increase in reported crimes overall and is operating with roughly 25 fewer officers due to vacancies, training and medical leaves.
South Gate Police Chief Ira Kawi presented the department’s 2024 performance summary to the City Council on March 11, reporting an overall 5% increase in reported crime and about 45,300 calls for service for the year.
Chief Kawi said the department is funded for 86 sworn officers but is currently short by about 25 officers because of 13 vacancies, nine personnel in training or the academy, and three on extended medical leave. “That’s more than 25% of the workforce,” he told the council, and he urged patience with nonemergency response times while the department focuses resources.
Kawi said part 1 crimes showed mixed trends: homicides declined from nine to five (four arrests made), rapes increased by 62% in raw counts (26 incidents with 10 arrests so far), robberies rose slightly and aggravated assaults decreased. Property crime trends showed slight increases in burglary and larceny. Arson incidents increased, he reported, in part tied to transient encampments.
Traffic enforcement rose: the department issued 2,299 moving violations in 2024, and the chief identified speeding, failure to stop at stop signs and running red lights as the most common moving violations. He also urged community attention after a recent fatal collision and said investigations were ongoing.
Kawi highlighted enforcement and outreach efforts: 49 homeless encampment cleanups and coordinated outreach deployments with county and nonprofit partners, 114 seized handguns and 25 ghost guns, and an increase in moving-violation enforcement. He said response time to priority calls averaged about 3 minutes 57 seconds.
Captain Ronner outlined strategy steps including expanded neighborhood- and business-watch meetings, enhanced coordination with retail stores on loss-prevention, larger use of crime analysis and license-plate readers, more focused patrols near riverbeds and train tracks, and an online crime-reporting tool to let residents file nonemergency property reports online.
The council received and filed the report. Several residents who spoke during public comment urged more enforcement at South Gate Park and faster response times to emergency calls; the chief acknowledged those concerns and noted ongoing deployment and outreach work.
