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San Fernando police report: arrests up, vehicle theft down, council seeks clearer metrics and Flock briefing
Summary
The San Fernando Police Department presented 2025 crime data showing a drop in vehicle thefts and rises in assaults and arrests. Council pressed for clearer success metrics, regular public dashboards and more detail on Flock camera use and data-sharing safeguards.
The San Fernando Police Department told the City Council that 2025 produced mixed results: vehicle thefts fell (129 in 2024 to 86 in 2025), assaults rose (134 to 189) and the department responded to roughly 22,920 calls for service over the year. Arrests increased in the most recent three-year span, from 667 in 2023 to 960 in 2025.
Chief of Police (Chief Valdez) said some increases can reflect better reporting and more proactive enforcement, including targeted patrols, traffic enforcement and use of automated license-plate readers. He also cited organizational improvements — new patrol vehicles (including an electric vehicle), upgraded mobile data computers and Guardian scheduling software — and an independent organizational assessment followed by leadership training.
Council members pressed for clearer, consistent metrics to judge whether rising arrests are a positive sign of enforcement or a symptom of growing crime. Vice Mayor Victoria Garcia asked what should signal “success” and requested a public dashboard and an action plan that would allow the council and residents to track progress over time. Staff told the council they will present an implementation plan and timeline at a future meeting, and suggested quarterly public updates tied to the assessment’s recommendations.
The presentation included a discussion of Flock, a private video-analytics system the department uses. Command staff said internal audits found no sharing of Flock data with federal immigration authorities and credited the system with helping solve serious cases, including a homicide and an attempted kidnapping. Commanders said external agencies must request permission for access and the police department approves or denies those requests.
Council members requested a fuller briefing on Flock’s governance and data-sharing procedures and asked staff to explain why counts for some crimes rose while others fell. Staff committed to returning with more precise dashboards, additional context on the effects of reporting-policy changes and regular staffing and recruitment updates.
