Richardson police report 2024: overall crime down sharply; staffing, training and new technology highlighted

Chief Jeff Tittle presented the Richardson Police Department's 2024 annual review at the Richardson City Council meeting, reporting that violent crime fell about 4% in 2024 and property crime dropped about 16%, for an overall decline the department quantified as 15.4% compared with the prior year.

Tittle told the council the department would keep focusing on staffing, training and data-driven deployments. "While we may be shorthanded, we are not desperate," he said, summarizing the department's recruiting outlook and training plans.

The presentation gave a detailed accounting of personnel and operations. The department said sworn staffing stood at 169 officers after a pending retirement (down four from the department's authorized level of 173). The communications center reported 19 dispatchers in the field of 25 allocated positions; the department said several candidates remained in background checks or training. Tittle said about 20 recruits or trainees were in the pipeline.

On crime trends, the department reported the largest reductions in property crimes, including a 45%…