Paso Robles police report shows hiring gains, steady crime trends; homeless enforcement highlighted

Police Chief Damien Nord presented the Paso Robles Police Department's 2024 annual review on March 4, describing improvements in recruiting, retention and several operational programs while flagging continued challenges with theft-related crimes, traffic collisions and homelessness-related calls to service.

Key takeaways from the presentation

- Recruitment and staffing: Nord said the department received 227 applications for police recruits and 61 lateral applications in 2024. The department hired 23 employees last year, including 18 sworn officers; at the time of the presentation Nord said the department had 49 sworn officers, 6 recruits in academy and 23 non-sworn staff for a total of 78 personnel.

- Retention and training: Nord said the department did not lose officers to other agencies in 2024, a shift from recent years. He credited enhanced hiring incentives, a recruitment team and use of a widely circulated recruitment video. Training needs reduced some enforcement capacity (motor officers were pulled for training and field training duties), which the chief said temporarily lowered citation totals.

- Calls for service and dispatch: Nord reported the dispatch center handled more than 85,000 calls (police and fire) and noted the department relies on community service officers (CSOs) to handle lower-acuity calls and free sworn officers for patrol duties.

- Homelessness and encampments: Nord said the department made 469 arrests related to enforcement and coordinated cleanup that removed about 250,000 pounds of trash. He described multiagency work with the county, mental-health providers and local nonprofits to provide services; when people decline services, the department uses enforcement tools where appropriate.

- Crime trends and reporting changes: Nord said overall crime rates have declined in many categories but theft/larceny rose. He explained a spike in reported assaults followed a statewide transition to the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which captures a broader range of offenses than the older system.

Requests and next steps

Nord listed goals including continuing to hire to full capacity, implementing a citywide camera project to deter crime, expanding the Community Action Team that handles encampments, participating in countywide active-shooter exercises with the Paso Robles Unified School District, and staffing for a joint training center with fire services.

Public questions at the presentation

- Rosie Hebron, a retired sergeant, asked about female recruits; Nord replied the department had one candidate in background review and that female participation historically has been low but the recent group included a woman who progressed to background checks.

- Caller Linda George asked whether warrant policies and new laws such as Care Court were changing enforcement; Nord said local capacity is affected by county jail availability and DA prosecutorial priorities, and he said the department works with the DA and sheriff to pursue no-bail warrants for habitual offenders when possible.

Ending

Council members commended Nord for recruitment and retention improvements, and the chief thanked the council and community for funding and support.