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Takoma Park police report cites sharp drop in part‑1 crimes and moves ahead with EV pilot
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Summary
Police presented a 2025 annual report showing Part 1 crimes fell from about 1,300 to 664, attributing much of the reduction to targeted interventions at repeat hot spots; the department also proposed a 12‑month pilot of a pursuit‑rated Chevy Blazer electric patrol vehicle to test range, charging and costs.
Takoma Park’s police leadership told the City Council the department saw a substantial decline in reported serious crimes last year and outlined next steps to test electric patrol vehicles.
Chief Duvall reported that Part 1 crimes — a category including assaults, burglaries, larcenies and other serious offenses — totaled about 664 in 2025 compared with roughly 1,300 in 2024. Chief Duvall attributed much of the drop to reductions in larcenies and burglaries, citing a sharp decline in repeat incidents at a local Walgreens after the company added armed security at that location.
“We had a 51% decrease in crime in the city last year,” the chief said, while cautioning against overreliance on percentages because Takoma Park’s raw crime numbers are relatively low.
The department said Ward-level analysis shows mixed trends: Ward 6 saw a large decrease attributed in part to interventions at commercial hot spots, while Ward 1 and Ward 3 recorded increases in theft-from-auto incidents. The department reported 109 arrests in 2025 (about 95% adult arrests) and emphasized a data-driven approach to hot-spot deployment and community outreach.
The chief also described enforcement and automated‑detection programs: the city issued more than 30,000 red-light camera citations in 2025 (with New Hampshire and Ethan Allen as the highest‑volume site) and is piloting automated stop‑sign enforcement at multiple locations.
On fleet modernization, the police department proposed a 12‑month pilot of a pursuit‑rated Chevrolet Blazer EV to evaluate real‑world range (about 273 miles per Chevrolet specifications), charging-time impacts and operational tradeoffs in local patrol use. The pilot would begin after vehicle acquisition and outfit, with interim (6‑month) and final (12‑month) reports to council. Charging infrastructure at the police facility — two DC fast chargers and two Level‑2 chargers — is already in place, but staff said more infrastructure will be needed as EV adoption grows.
The department said upfront vehicle purchase and upfitting costs for the EV are comparable to hybrid pursuit vehicles and projected long‑term fuel savings of 40–60%, though battery durability and cold‑weather range reductions remain variables identified by peer agencies.
Council members asked for additional breakdowns, including counts behind percentage changes (for example, the Walgreens impact), comparisons excluding particular hot‑spot interventions, and detailed vehicle cost and charging‑cost estimates. The chief and city staff promised follow‑up briefings and data to support further council decisions.
