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Police chief reports mixed crime picture, outlines new enforcement and community programs
Summary
Bell City Police Chief described a drop in Part I crimes in 2025 but noted quarter‑to‑date increases in simple assaults and certain sexual‑offense reports for early 2026; he outlined steps including a probation coalition, gang enforcement team, and plans for a crime analyst and K‑9 support.
Bell City’s police chief presented the department’s early‑2026 crime statistics and said the picture is mixed: while the city saw a 22% decline in Part I crimes from 2024 to 2025, the first quarter of 2026 shows increases in some categories and new operational steps to respond.
Chief Velasco told the council the department tracked a 178% rise in simple assaults during the quarter and said a small number of sex‑offense reports produced a 300% statistical increase for that category; he said one of the sex‑offense reports was a late report alleged to have occurred more than 10 years ago and that two of the incidents led to prompt arrests. He said the overall Part I crime rise for the quarter was about 4% compared…
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