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Fire and police report steady activity; fire response times improving and police cite increased narcotics arrests
Summary
Fire battalion chief Ryan Kirby reported about 520 incidents in December and improving response times with a new station; Deputy Chief Hattersley said crimes against persons and property fell year‑to‑date while narcotics arrests rose and police solved a December homicide using camera evidence.
Ryan Kirby, the city’s battalion chief, reported to commissioners that the fire department handled roughly 520 incidents in December, including medical calls, structure fires and traffic collisions. Kirby said average response times were about 4.21 minutes with a substantial majority under five minutes and that a new local fire station should shorten response distances; staff scheduled a Jan. 28 planning meeting for the station’s ribbon cutting.
Deputy Chief Hattersley briefed the commission on police activity and year‑end statistics. He said overall reported crimes against persons and property decreased slightly while arrests tied to narcotics enforcement led to an increase in the category the department classifies as crimes against society. Hattersley said the department solved a December homicide and arrested a suspect within three days after identifying a suspect vehicle with the city’s FLOT camera program. He also said staffing is improving with about 34 officers planned as recruits complete training.
Commissioners asked about targeted traffic enforcement and the department’s traffic‑unit capacity; Hattersley said specialty units are limited until core staffing needs are met but the department will seek to reestablish a traffic team when staffing allows.
Sources and attribution: figures and direct statements from Ryan Kirby and Deputy Chief Hattersley’s Jan. 8 reports to the Desert Hot Springs City Commission.
