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Merced police report declines in auto theft, burglaries and shootings after staffing and tech investments
Summary
Police officials reported 2025 reductions in several crime metrics — including a 38% drop in auto theft, double‑digit drops in burglaries and a 32% decline in shootings — and highlighted new data investments (real‑time information center, camera deployments, BrassTRAX/NIBIN) that staff say improved lead times and investigations.
Merced police leaders told the City Council April 6 that a combination of higher staffing, area‑based command structure and data‑driven tactics produced notable crime declines in 2025 compared with 2024.
Chief Stanfield said the department recorded a roughly 38% reduction in auto thefts, decreases in residential and commercial burglaries (down about 27% and 40% respectively), a 32% drop in shootings, and a 10% reduction in use‑of‑force incidents from 2024. Captain Kevin Perez described how a ComStat process with four area commanders, weekly reviews, and analyst‑built dashboards drives targeted action plans, including directed patrols, foot beats and use of specialty teams.
Lieutenant Braz reviewed the real‑time information center: two crime analysts now monitor city cameras (city‑owned, park cameras and business cameras integrated via Axon Fusion) and publish retail‑theft bulletins and social posts that staff said improved closure rates for theft cases. Lieutenant Sers described a new BrassTRAX/NIBIN workflow that routs fired‑case evidence through a local test‑fire station and a national correlation center; staff reported faster leads and multiple matches that aided prosecutions.
Council members thanked the department and asked for continued transparency and for staff to link any fee or program changes to quantifiable service‑level improvements. Police leaders said they would continue to report metrics and that recent investments — both personnel and technology — have helped reduce crime and accelerate investigations.
Key data presented by staff were drawn from the department’s 2025 dashboards and internal reports shared with council.
