Council accepts Desert Hot Springs Police Department 2024 annual report; robberies flagged as a concern

The Desert Hot Springs City Council unanimously accepted the Police Department’s 2024 annual management report on Feb. 18 after Chief Steve Shaw summarized crime trends, staffing and volunteer contributions.

Chief Shaw told the council that reported robberies rose from 22 in 2023 to 40 in 2024, an increase the department attributes largely to incidents that began as shoplifting and escalated when store employees or security intervened. He said 27 of the 2024 robbery reports were tied to shoplifting incidents, and that nine robberies in 2024 involved a handgun (one at a business and eight individual robberies).

Shaw also reported an approximately 30% decrease in motor vehicle thefts, citing a decline from 191 cases in 2023 to 133 cases in 2024. He said the drop reflects both resident precautions (locking cars, removing valuables) and regional task-force activity focused on auto-theft enforcement.

The report showed a sharp decline in formal citizen complaints about officers — from 26 in 2023 to 1 in 2024 — which Shaw attributed to supervisor review and outreach that often resolves concerns as an inquiry rather than a formal complaint. He highlighted recruiting efforts, including sponsoring candidates into the police academy, and said the department had five current vacancies with the potential for three more and six applicants in background checks.

Shaw also recognized volunteer contributions, reporting 2,612 volunteer hours donated to department functions in 2024.

Councilmember Gardner praised the department’s performance under constrained staffing, and a motion to accept the report passed unanimously.

The council did not adopt new policy in response to the report at the meeting; staff said they will follow up on staffing timelines and community communications mentioned during council discussion.