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Sheriff’s annual report: Buellton sees drop in part‑one crimes as motor‑officer enforcement increases
Summary
Sheriff's lieutenant reported a 25% decline in part‑one crimes from 71 to 53 between 2024 and 2025 and credited a full‑time motor officer for traffic enforcement gains while cautioning that reporting will change next year under the national incident‑based system (NYERS/NIBRS).
The Santa Barbara County sheriff's representative told the Buellton City Council that the city saw fewer serious reportable crimes in 2025 and that traffic enforcement has increased after the addition of a full‑time motor officer.
Lieutenant Henderson presented year‑end figures: part‑one crimes under the old UCR categorization fell from 71 in 2024 to 53 in 2025. Traffic collisions showed the most pronounced drop — "a 44% decrease," he said — and motor‑vehicle thefts, burglaries and larceny were lower than in recent years. He cautioned that aggravated assaults rose slightly, a change that will be examined.
Henderson credited the addition of a motor officer in July 2025 for increased enforcement and a reduction in collisions. The lieutenant gave the officer’s preliminary counts for the fiscal year: 474 citations issued since July and roughly 1,432 vehicle stops in the fiscal year to date; that same fiscal period recorded about 4,116 calls for service.
The lieutenant also highlighted several awards and life‑saving incidents by deputies, including burglary investigations that recovered roughly $60,000 in stolen property and deputies who rendered life‑saving medical aid during a stabbing and secured the suspect.
Henderson warned the council that the county is transitioning from the Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) system to the NYERS/NIBRS incident‑based reporting system; future year‑to‑year comparisons will not be directly comparable because the new system reports multiple offenses per incident and provides more victim/suspect detail.
Council members asked about transient‑related activity and speed‑prone stretches of Route 246; the sheriff’s office said encampments have increased in certain riverbed areas but the department has not documented a linked surge in crime, and that transition zones (where speed limits drop into town) are frequent speeding hotspots.
