Canton police report: staffing steady, serious crime down, traffic enforcement up

Chief Errol and Lieutenant Tiffany Cromer presented the Canton Police Department's 2025 operations report and highlighted staffing stability, crime declines and investments in focused enforcement and partnerships.

"Every year we handle around 30,000 calls a year," Chief Errol said, and added that departmental investments and council support helped the force remain fully staffed when many peer agencies had vacancies. Lieutenant Cromer told council the department responded to "just under 31,000 calls for service," reported a roughly 33% reduction in crimes against persons (including aggravated assaults), a 70% drop in burglary and a 13% drop in larceny, and recorded zero homicides for the second year in a row.

Cromer said arrests rose from 68 to 89 and that traffic enforcement responses increased, with the department documenting more than 1,500 motor-vehicle accidents (a 13.5% increase) and conducting over 8,000 traffic stops. The department credited a new CAPS unit for handling about 1,600 calls focused on non-emergent, quality-of-life issues that allow sworn officers to focus on higher-priority incidents.

The report also noted a 59% closure rate for criminal investigations (including arrests and closures by investigative means), about 6,700 training hours for staff, improvements to records and evidence functions, and recent capital upgrades at the department including an on-site gym supported by a memorial grant. Council members asked follow-up questions about comparative citation rates and requested additional benchmarking; staff agreed to follow up.

Council commended the department for the results and noted that staffing stability and strategic partnerships were key contributors to the reported improvements.