Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Caldwell police chief credits training, technology with crime drops; council praises department
Summary
Caldwell Police Department presented a 2024 year-in-review to the City Council, reporting declines in several categories of violent and property crime and outlining investments in training, equipment and community policing.
Chief of Police presented the Caldwell Police Department’s 2024 year‑in‑review to the City Council, highlighting what he called a year of “challenge and growth” for the department and the city.
The chief said the department reorganized leadership, increased training budgets, and added technology and personnel. “We increased our training budget over 350%,” he said. He credited targeted enforcement, new tools including Flock Safety cameras, and community-focused patrols for public‑safety gains.
City statistics cited by the chief included a 66% reduction in homicides since the change in administration, a 20% drop in total Part 1 crime over about two and a half years, a 50% reduction in auto theft, and fewer shooting incidents compared with nearby cities during the same period. “Caldwell has never been safer than it is today,” the chief told the council.
The chief also emphasized non‑enforcement work: more foot patrols, horse patrols for community outreach, social‑media transparency by the PIO, and training to reduce the need for arrests in noncriminal civil‑type calls. He said the department is balancing enforcement with community engagement: “If we can educate someone, we’ll educate someone. But when we have to hold people accountable, we absolutely do.”
Council members praised the department and its leadership. Councilor Goetz, Register, Williams, Denber and Stoddick all thanked the chief and command staff for the work and pledged council support for staffing and resources. Councilor Register noted the department’s role in state legislation targeting fentanyl, saying the city’s effort has “a direct impact on our narcotics arrests going down and overdoses going down.”
Council members asked operational questions about traffic enforcement, private streets and how department staffing levels match population growth. The chief told council the department is operating at about 1.12 officers per 1,000 residents and flagged projections that the department will need additional officers to avoid burnout as the city grows.
The presentation referenced partnerships and specific programs — including the International Association of Chiefs of Police recognition and a multi‑agency approach to domestic‑violence response and victim services — but did not include council action requests or votes.
Council discussion stayed supportive; no formal actions were taken.
