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Police chief reports mixed 2025 crime trends, flags concentrated calls at large apartment complex
Summary
Police Chief Kevin Minson told the Chino City Council that crimes against persons rose 4% in 2025—driven largely by a 26% increase in robberies—while property crime categories fell; he highlighted heavy, localized demands for service at the 1,645‑unit Homecoming complex and urged coordination with property managers and developers.
Police Chief Kevin Minson told the Chino City Council on Feb. 17 that the Chino Police Department closed 2025 with mixed crime trends and several concentrated problem areas that are straining response resources.
Minson said the department now includes "127 officers, 82 professional staff members, and 45 volunteers," and that "we currently have 0 police officer vacancies." He reported that crimes against persons rose 4% in 2025, with robberies up 26% (67 robberies) and 64 arrests, while property crimes fell 4% and auto theft declined 22%.
The chief also described a regional cargo‑theft problem that the department addressed by assigning detectives; he said the city calculated about "$7,000,000 of loss last year and recovered $3,000,000." Minson credited the retail‑theft task force, funded by Measure V, with reducing shoplifting by 11% over 18 months.
Why it matters: Minson told the council that much of the department's workload is now concentrated in a few high‑density developments. He said the largest site, the Homecoming complex (about 1,645 units), produced 1,098 calls for service in 2025—roughly three calls per day—compared with lower per‑unit rates at nearby affordable complexes.
Council Member Lucio pressed for more aggressive work with property managers and developers to address the concentration of calls, saying the city should consider community programming and private security. "No complex should have 3 calls a day," Lucio said, urging staff to meet with owner representatives, including Randall Lewis and the Lewis Group, to pursue solutions.
Lieutenant Dustin Thomasick, who works with the department's community‑relations and criminal investigations units, said staff have held neighborhood‑watch meetings at the Preserve, are pursuing camera access from management, and continue voluntary mitigation work despite the state change that ended the formal 'crime‑free multi‑housing' enforcement in 2024.
Minson also previewed an operational change he expects to affect response times: a police helicopter currently being outfitted in Carlsbad is scheduled for delivery around April, and the department is finalizing a hangar lease at the airport.
What comes next: Council members asked staff to return with options and recommendations for partnering with developers, expanding local programming, and other measures to reduce repeat calls for service at high‑volume complexes. Council direction and any follow‑up assignments were not recorded as formal motions during the presentation.
