Covington credits 2025 public-safety investments as crime drops 22%

A city presenter said Covington’s 2025 public-safety investments coincided with a 22% drop in overall crime and a 26% increase in arrests, and that the city will add a new police officer funded in the 2025 budget who is expected to start in 2026.

The presenter opened the statement saying, "People deserve to feel safe where they live, where they work, and where they spend time with their families," and described the year as one in which Covington’s investment in public safety "delivered real results." The presenter attributed specific declines to targeted enforcement and new tools, naming autotheft, assault and vandalism as the largest areas of decline.

On enforcement and outcomes, the presenter said "nearly 39% of theft cases resulted in an arrest or criminal citation," and described that figure as "almost double any other King County contract city." The presenter added that data showed arrests were up 26% in 2025. These figures were presented by the speaker as city results; the presenter did not provide an external source or document during the remarks.

Technology was highlighted as a contributor to investigations. "Our Flock safety cameras, also known as license plate readers, have made a measurable impact," the presenter said, adding that Flock alerts led to 22 vehicle contacts in 2025 and helped recover stolen vehicles, identify stolen plates and locate missing persons. The presenter also said the system provided investigative leads in "at least 60 cases" and that the data "assisted in or provided evidence for 42 arrests."

The presenter framed public safety as extending beyond enforcement to prevention and relationships, citing increased officer participation at community events such as Covington Days, Family Fall Fest, Superhero Social, KidsFest and Trunk-or-Treat. The presenter said Covington continues to partner with Maple Valley, Black Diamond and King County for an annual community police academy.

As part of operational capacity, the presenter said the city trained two additional officers as certified drone pilots to expand its ability to locate missing persons and safely track fleeing suspects. The presenter also announced the launch of the Blue Bridge Alliance, a program that equips officers with preloaded cards they can use in the field to immediately help individuals in need.

The presentation concluded by noting that the 2025 budget included funding for a new police officer, who "will be starting this year in 2026," which the presenter described as an addition to Covington’s existing force. The speaker did not indicate any formal vote, ordinance or council action during the remarks; the statement read as an executive/administrative update rather than a legislative item.