Get AI Briefings, Transcripts & Alerts on Local & National Government Meetings — Forever.
Kenmore police report: crime down overall, staffing vacancies and camera workload flagged
Loading...
Summary
Kenmore police chief reported declines in many crime categories in 2025 and highlighted tools and training improvements, but also said the department is operating with vacancies and that expanding automated camera enforcement will increase review workload and may require new staffing or process changes.
Kenmore Police Chief Tobin Moen presented the department’s 2025 services report to the council, summarizing staffing, crime trends, technology upgrades and operational pressures.
Chief Moen said Kenmore currently has nine patrol officers and one detective assigned, with multiple vacancies that the sheriff's office is actively recruiting to fill; he described reliance on Shoreline for station facilities and supervisory coverage. On crime statistics, Moen said the city remains among the state’s safer communities and reported notable reductions in property crimes: "We saw a 47 percent decrease in commercial burglaries and a large drop in vehicle thefts — about 72 percent here," he said. At the same time fraud reports were up.
The chief highlighted investments in training and equipment including de‑escalation training, a phlebotomy program to speed DUI blood draws, a new transport 'wrap' for safely moving out‑of‑control people, and upgraded Tasers that Moen said function as both a compliance and de‑escalation tool.
Traffic cameras and citations were a core topic. Moen said the automated photo program is producing high volumes of review work and that reassigning calendars and possible civilian review options are under consideration: "Rejections for technical issues are rare; the workload is real and we can either manage it with overtime or hire civilian staff to review violations," he said. Council members asked about a threshold when the city would hire a dedicated civilian reviewer versus continuing with overtime; the chief said fall data from transportable cameras will inform that decision.
Moen also discussed community programs—Explorer post, BlueBridge Alliance discretionary funds for officers to assist people in the moment, and outreach like the Nurturing Trust workshops—and said the department remains committed to community engagement and traffic safety.
Next steps: The department and staff will return with data on transportable camera operations and with options for handling citation review workload; council members requested updates on vacancy status and on whether a civilian review position is needed.
