Monrovia police present six-year crime review; chief cites rise in proactive policing and changes under Proposition 36

Police Chief Harvey told the Monrovia City Council on March 4 that calls for service in Monrovia have remained largely steady over the past six years while proactive policing activity has increased, a trend he said is linked to better crime-prevention capacity and some new programs such as SGV Cares.

"Calls for service are just that. They are calls that come in from the community to a police department that are generated from outside," Chief Harvey said as he described how Monrovia categorizes incoming calls into nonemergency, walk-in and 911 calls and by priority levels.

Harvey said that when proactive policing is counted alongside calls for service the department’s total activity rose in 2024, but that removing proactive activity shows an overall downward trend in crime. He told the council that proactive activity includes directed patrols, specialty details and outreach teams and that the increase in proactive work is generally desirable because it means officers have time to look for and prevent crime.

The chief also described changes in national crime reporting. California moved from the Uniform Crime Reporting method (UCR) to the National Incident Based Reporting System (NIBRS), which reports every crime within an incident rather than a single “most serious” offense. "The new system ... you report all four crimes under one incident," he said, noting the change can make crime numbers look higher even where incidents have not increased.

Harvey reviewed recent state-level changes he said will affect local enforcement and prosecution. He described Proposition 36 as expanding felony exposure in some theft and drug cases — for example, allowing felony charges where a person with two prior theft convictions commits another theft — and said the measure also allows aggregation of multiple thefts or coordinated group thefts for enhanced charges. He said the new law includes treatment pathways and increased arrest authority for certain misdemeanors, and that a recently elected district attorney has signaled a focus on both accountability and alternatives to mass incarceration.

On traffic and enforcement measures, the chief said traffic stops remain common but citations have declined as officers use discretion to educate motorists. Investigations data showed active cases rising and DA rejections declining, which Harvey said indicated more workable leads and casework. He also said arrests have increased, which he framed as a sign of investigators finding suspects and moving cases forward.

On immigration enforcement, Harvey told the council that Monrovia follows state law and its Lexipol policy. He said the police department does not inquire about immigration status unless it is relevant to a criminal investigation, and that civil immigration detainers do not by themselves justify continued detention. Harvey added that when federal authorities must be contacted, they must respond before the local investigation is completed; he said that had not occurred during the six-year reporting period covered.

Harvey gave staffing figures the council can use for planning: the department was budgeted for 50 sworn officers (with authorization to over-hire by two) but had 48 officers on the books; of those, five were injured on duty, two were in training, three were recruits or academy students and about 38 officers were fully available for patrol and other duties. He told the council that the department prefers to hire selectively even if that leaves vacancies.

The chief said the department produces a weekly watch report and publishes crime mapping, and that the dispatch center is due for a digital upgrade later this year.

Council members asked questions about how 911 calls are handled and heard in the station, how SGV Cares affects call volumes, and whether diversion programs could reduce incarceration; Harvey and other council members discussed that diversion is primarily a court process but that recent statewide changes include treatment options tied to case outcomes.

The council did not take a vote on police staffing or policy at the March 4 meeting; the presentation served as an informational update and a basis for future policy discussion.