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Police report: Calls for service rise to 4,799; open-record requests surge
Summary
Agency official (S2) told the committee the department logged 4,799 calls for service (up 550 year-over-year) and said open-record (FOIP) requests jumped from 13 to 113, creating staffing and cost pressures; the full annual report will be presented at the next meeting.
Agency official (S2) told the Cross Plains planning committee that the police department recorded 4,799 calls for service this past year, an increase of 550 calls from the prior year. "We had a total of 4,799 calls for service, which is up, 550 calls from last year," S2 said during the meeting.
S2 said the department has seen a marked rise in open-record requests, from 13 the previous year to 113 last year, and described the workload and expense those blanket requests impose. "We're up to a 113. We we had a 113 record requests last year, whereas the year prior, we had 13," S2 said, noting some requests are broad research-style queries that require substantial staff time.
Why it matters: the increase in calls and record requests is straining staff time and departmental resources, S2 told the committee. S2 reported other service statistics that illustrate rising demand: about 88 annual 911 disconnects (a figure consistent with recent years), 255 assists to EMS, 35 assists to fire, and more than 730 vacation checks.
S2 also highlighted enforcement activity and staffing. The department issued 306 citations and made 884 traffic stops, and saw an uptick in juvenile complaints (68 for the year). S2 said the department is hiring after a recent resignation and that several applicants have expressed interest. "We've got several applicants and several phone calls, with interests, for our department," S2 said.
On enforcement processes, S2 described a standardized ordinance-complaint workflow: staff verify a violation, Taylor (the ordinance compliance officer) serves a 10-day notice to cure, and tickets are issued only if compliance is not achieved. S2 said most residents remedy issues before ticketing is necessary.
Next steps: S2 said a full police annual report will be brought to the next meeting after some final numbers are closed out. The committee did not take formal action at the session; the report is expected to inform future staffing and budget discussions.
