Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Star police report: July saw increases in crash responses and calls for service
Summary
Chief Zach Castingshot reported July statistics showing a higher number of crash responses and an overall rise in calls-for-service; domestic violence calls rose compared with last year and the department emphasized proactive policing and response-time goals under 4 minutes.
Chief Zach Castingshot told the council that, year to date through July, the city had recorded 137 total crimes and that July showed increases in several categories: 13 person crimes, 7 property crimes and a rise in crash responses (52 in July vs. 34 a year earlier). The department recorded 498 citizen calls for service in July and 2,372 proactive-policing contacts. "If you look at the last three months, May, June and July, we've gone up about 25% in our call volume," Chief Castingshot said.
The chief highlighted a rise in domestic-violence calls (10 in July versus 2 the prior year) and said traffic stops and proactive enforcement have increased. He noted the city's response-time goal (under four minutes) and reported an average in Star of 3 minutes, 17 seconds for July. Council members and the mayor praised the department's proactive policing model and asked whether changes in drug arrests or staffing explained recent trends; the chief said a mix of factors — including proactive units and targeted deterrence — likely contributed to lower drug-related arrests while other service demands rose.
The police report was informational; no council action was taken beyond questions and appreciation for the department's work.
