Chowchilla police report 1,476 calls since last meeting; department notes seven vacant officer positions

Police Chief Palmer reported to the Chowchilla City Council that officers had responded to 1,476 calls for service since the last meeting, including 646 proactive stops that produced 16 misdemeanor arrests, two felony arrests and 19 citations. Code enforcement logged 75 service calls and took 16 actions, the chief said.

Chief Palmer said an armed robbery at a local business and a shots‑fired incident outside the city are under investigation. He also reported staffing challenges: the department has seven vacant full‑time police officer positions, and five of those positions are funded by Measure N; Palmer said the city will have to monitor post‑election staffing decisions affecting those roles. "As you know, Measure N funds 5 of those positions at the police department, so we'll have to be looking to see how that goes," he said.

The chief noted the department received two Dodge Durangos and said the department will switch to an all‑black paint scheme with standard markings for the vehicles. No additional staffing plan or timeline for filling vacancies was recorded in the segment provided.

Council members thanked the chief for the report and asked follow‑up questions about community safety strategies; no formal motions or budget actions tied to the staffing figures were recorded in the supplied transcript.