Menifee police report modest declines in calls and new porch‑theft resources; city manager says Sun City substation will include a public lobby

Chief Carr presented the Menifee Police Department’s third‑quarter update, reporting a roughly 5% decrease in calls for service year‑to‑date and a 3% reduction in Group A case totals. He attributed a recent rise in "other larceny" reports partly to the department’s dual‑sworn postal inspector taking on porch‑theft and mail‑theft investigations previously routed only through the U.S. Postal Service.

"We are still trending 5% decrease versus last year," Chief Carr told the council, and he described expanded investigatory reach because the dual‑sworn officer has federal authority to work cross‑jurisdictional mail‑theft cases.

During questions, a council member asked whether Ring‑camera footage and similar evidence would now be used to pursue prosecutions. Chief Carr said officers collect and link video evidence to cases and that the federal access improves identification resources.

Separately, the council questioned whether the soon‑to‑be‑renovated Sun City substation would include a public front counter. Chief Carr said the most recent substation plan had removed the public counter and that the facility would not be public‑facing. Later in the meeting, City Manager Via reported a recent update and committed to including a public lobby in the floor plan so senior residents could make in‑person reports: "We just received a report from the PD about the facility over at Sun City. And I think we are gonna include a public lobby in there." The manager said including a public lobby reflects council desire and would be included in the plans.

The presentation also summarized code enforcement caseloads, outreach programs (HOPE team and CBAT) and recent officer recognitions and hires.