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Police report shows decade-long drop in burglaries; chief urges public to report concerns
Summary
Lawton police reported a 43.5% decline in burglaries since 2013 and defended the department's response to burglary calls. Police leaders said the department remains responsive and highlighted new technology and community reporting as factors in solving crimes.
The Lawton Police Department told the City Council it has recorded a steady decline in reported burglaries over the past decade, and police leaders urged residents to report suspicious activity as an essential part of preventing and solving property crime.
According to a chart presented at the council meeting, burglaries in 2013 numbered about 1,485; the department reported 839 burglaries in 2024, a 43.5% decline over the period. Police said the 2024 figure reflects the department's reporting under the current national incident-reporting standard and matches figures submitted to state and federal reporting systems.
The police chief told council that officers respond to burglary calls dispatched by 911, to reports taken at the station and to online reports. The chief said response priorities are set by dispatch and field commanders, but that the department does respond to burglary calls; in some instances response time varies because of other high-priority calls.
Technology and neighborhood involvement Council and staff discussed new investigative tools that can accelerate identification of vehicles and suspects from surveillance or license-plate imagery. Police described a recent case in which investigators used a camera-based tool to locate a suspect vehicle quickly while staff were meeting, and detectives then developed leads.
Council members asked for regular public reporting on burglary calls received, responses made and cases cleared; police said they would bring a more detailed report in a future meeting and that the department welcomes neighborhood-watch activity and more public reporting to improve deterrence.
Why it matters Council members said the statistics are encouraging but warned that public trust depends on residents seeing police respond. The chief said the department will continue to pursue technology upgrades and partner with neighborhoods to reduce property crime.
