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Hutchinson police report shows rise in calls, two fatal crashes and fentanyl concerns
Summary
Police Chief Gifferson told the Hutchinson City Council that calls for service rose about 14% in 2025 to 13,443, the department made 320 arrests, and vehicle crashes increased to 263 including two fatalities; the chief warned that fentanyl is appearing in multiple drug investigations.
Police Chief Gifferson delivered the Hutchinson Police Department’s 2025 year‑end report to the City Council on March 10, saying the department handled 13,443 calls for service, up roughly 14% from the prior year.
The chief said the department had a staff of 33 people, including 23 full‑time licensed officers, five support staff and a mix of community service officers. “In 2025, we had 13,443 calls for service, which was up about 14% from the previous year,” Chief Gifferson said.
He outlined crime and enforcement statistics for the year: 320 arrests in 2025, 395 Group A crimes resulting in 140 arrests, and a larger, harder‑to‑track Group B category that produced 104 arrests. The most frequent incident types were property damage, theft, assaults and controlled‑substance offenses.
Traffic incidents were notably higher. The chief said Hutchinson recorded 263 crashes in 2025, of which 18 involved personal injury and two were fatal: a semitrailer rollover on Highway 15 South and a pedestrian struck at a crosswalk. The chief emphasized the community and officer safety implications of increased crashes.
On drugs and enforcement, Chief Gifferson said the department participated in task force work with the Southwest Metro Drug Task Force and noted 21 task force investigations inside the city and 32 countywide when including a McLeod deputy on the team. “We still think it’s important to take care of the smaller people as well,” he said.
He warned about fentanyl’s presence in the local drug supply, calling it a public‑safety concern because very small amounts can be lethal. “It’s amazing how much fentanyl will kill — very little takes to kill somebody,” Chief Gifferson said, and noted officers carry naloxone (Narcan) for overdoses.
The chief also summarized departmental accomplishments and near‑term plans: two new squad cars, suppressors on rifles to protect hearing, a Lucas CPR device obtained by grant, upgraded Tasers and adoption of a new Axon platform for virtual‑reality training. Among 2026 goals he listed implementation of VR training, installing license‑plate‑reader technology at an outpost, promoting two sergeants to fill vacancies, and researching replacement handguns as a capital item.
Council members asked questions about trends and resources: one member asked whether major highways through the county increase drug activity; the chief said most cases remain local, though major routes provide a pipeline. Another council member asked about testing for marijuana impairment; the chief said field tests exist but there is no statutory impairment threshold for cannabis, limiting what a test alone can establish.
The full written year‑end report and further detail on Part A and Part B crime categories, times and calls are available in the council packet, staff said. The council did not take any formal votes tied directly to the report; members thanked the department for its work and moved on to other agenda items.
