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Police chief: serious crimes down 37% and clearance rate rose to 64% in 2025
Summary
At the March 16 Maquoketa City Council meeting, the police chief presented the 2025 annual report showing Group A (serious) reports falling from 425 to 266 and a clearance rate increase from 47% to 64%; the chief proposed a voluntary residential camera registry and credited staffing and investigative capacity for the improvements.
Chief Brendon presented the Maquoketa Police Department’s 2025 annual report to the City Council on March 16, saying Group A crimes — the more serious offenses that generate reports regardless of arrest — fell 37% from 425 reports in 2024 to 266 in 2025.
“I'm pleased to present this year's annual report,” Chief Brendon said, highlighting the department’s drop in reported serious crimes and an overall rise in its clearance rate.
The chief told the council the department’s clearance rate increased from about 47% to about 64% in 2025 and explained how the department defines a clearance — either an arrest or an exceptional clearance when circumstances such as an uncooperative victim or declined prosecution prevent charges. He described several operational factors that likely helped, including an investigator serving full-time for roughly six months and prevention and community engagement work by officers.
As a policy proposal, the chief recommended creating a voluntary registry of residential cameras so officers can quickly identify and request footage from nearby homeowners after incidents. He described the registry as optional, saying residents could register camera locations to help investigators identify possible footage to review.
The chief also noted staffing and training steps the department took over the past year, including hiring to replace a retiring longtime dispatcher, and said staff continuity helped reduce operational strain. He said the department is beginning succession planning for a communications supervisor position.
Council members had no substantive follow-up questions; the presentation concluded with no formal vote. The report will be posted to the city’s website for public review, according to staff.
Next steps: the city will publish the full annual report on the city web page and staff will return as needed with policy proposals for any database or registry.
