Cotati police chief presents 2025 annual report, cites 509 arrests and new fixed ALPR cameras

Cotati Police Chief Simmons presented the departments 2025 annual report to the Cotati Police Advisory Committee, saying the agency handled 12,882 events and recorded 509 arrests in 2025.

The report, Simmons said, highlights staffing gains and targeted traffic enforcement. "We had a total of 12,882 total events in 2025," he said. "There were a total of 509 arrests in 2025." Simmons noted that arrests declined from 557 in 2024 but remain elevated compared with earlier years, and he attributed much of recent arrest activity to proactive DUI enforcement funded in part by a CHP grant that provided a patrol vehicle, equipment and training.

Simmons outlined staffing changes: 13 sworn positions and eight civilian roles, one current officer vacancy (down from three earlier in the year), and several recent dispatcher hires that eliminated what had been a staffing shortfall in the dispatch center. He also highlighted the departments civilian and cadet programs and recruitment partnerships with Sonoma State University.

On public-safety responses and oversight, Simmons reviewed the departments RIPA (Racial and Identity Profiling Act) data, explaining that the departments perceived-race figures can be skewed because many contacts involve nonresidents and SSU students. He said the agencys NIBRS reporting and RIPA percentages have been consistent with recent years.

Use-of-force reporting was a central element of the presentation. Simmons said the department recorded 37 events involving force in 2025, about 0.29% of contacts, and that 16 of those events were "display only." "We didn't have any great bodily injury incidents," he said, noting that the department documents displays of force in its numbers so totals are not directly comparable with agencies that track force more narrowly.

Simmons also addressed automated license-plate readers. He said the department has four Axon in-car ALPR units that were out of service during vehicle upfitting issues and two recently installed fixed Flock cameras. "By the tail end of 2025we have two Flock cameras in the city," Simmons said, adding that the systems interjurisdictional-sharing functions have been disabled for Cotati and that the agency has a 30-day retention policy and routine audits. He said the cameras had already produced at least five investigative leads for vehicle-related crimes.

On community outreach, Simmons described continued partnership with the Sonoma County SAFE team for mental-health and homelessness response (219 SAFE calls in 2025; 41 required police services), neighborhood beat meetings, and more than 30 community events where officers engage residents.

Committee members asked questions about DUI prevention and speed enforcement; Simmons said the department uses business outreach, education campaigns, a speed-trailer and visible patrols in addition to targeted enforcement during holidays and high-risk times. He urged businesses to report shoplifting and other crimes promptly so police can investigate.

The advisory committee did not take formal action on the report; Simmons said the 2025 annual report will be posted online for public review.