Sheriff's captain reports lower crime and faster response times in Palmdale
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Summary
Captain Barton reported preliminary 2025 figures showing a 13% reduction in average routine response times (112 minutes), an 8.6% drop in monthly Part 1 crimes, a 52% drop in gang-related shootings year-over-year, and the expansion of the virtual deputy program including a Spanish-language option.
Captain Barton of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department presented preliminary year-end public-safety data at the Jan. 6 Palmdale City Council meeting, reporting several measures of improvement along with some cautionary trends.
Key numbers cited by Barton included an average routine response time of 112 minutes in December and an annual average of 112 minutes for 2025 (a 13% improvement from 2024), 45,922 total calls for service in 2025, and a decline in Part 1 crimes to an average of 295 per month in 2025 (an 8.6% decrease from 2024). Gang-related shootings fell to 14 incidents in 2025, a 52% drop from the prior year, Barton said. Arrests increased 11% to 4,390 and the department recovered 599 firearms during the year.
Barton highlighted the virtual deputy program as a factor in improved reporting and responsiveness; the program received over 1,000 submissions in 2025 and a Spanish-language version is now live. Councilmembers commended the department and asked for follow-up on particular trends such as catalytic converter thefts and fatal collisions.
Council requested a written factual report on the catalytic converter investigation and received assurance Barton would provide documentation by email.
