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Kingman police report shows small overall call increase, drop in vehicle thefts and staffing gaps
Summary
Chief Cooper presented the police department’s annual report: calls for service rose slightly, officer-generated activity and DUI arrests increased, vehicle thefts dropped nearly 30%, juvenile arrests rose substantially and the department remains short several sworn officers.
Kingman Police Chief Cooper presented the department’s annual report March 17, summarizing crime trends, staffing and recent organizational steps.
Chief Cooper said total calls for service were up slightly (about 1%) for 2025 and that officer-generated activity — proactive enforcement that yields arrests and traffic enforcement — rose by 13%. He highlighted a nearly 30% decline in vehicle thefts from the previous year and a 13% increase in DUI arrests; traffic citations rose 47% while traffic crashes decreased about 3.5%.
The chief said thefts edged up roughly 4% and juvenile arrests rose sharply (about 71%), reflecting national and regional trends including social-media-driven behaviors and tobacco/vaping violations in schools. Arson statistics rose in part because the department now reports under the NIBRS federal standard, which classifies certain small fires (for example, dumpster or trash-can blazes) as arson for reporting purposes.
Chief Cooper described several department developments: accreditation milestones for the department and its dispatch and property divisions; activation of a two-officer street-crimes unit to target repeat offenders; implementation of a police-aid program and an Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigative assignment; and continuing recruitment and retention challenges (the department was about eight sworn positions short at the time of the report). He said the department continues to invest in training and community outreach and is preparing for growth tied to annexation and anticipated interchange projects.
Council members thanked the chief and asked about recruitment approaches and partnerships with local schools; the chief said the department supports Lee Williams High School’s public-safety program, provides training, and has a police-aid entry position to develop future candidates.
Chief Cooper closed by urging continued council support for recruitment and noting the department’s plans for leadership development and community engagement.
