Monmouth public safety reports: police monthly stats and fire department wins equipment grant

Monmouth Police Chief Switzer briefed the council on May public-safety activity, reporting 67 arrests and 89 citations for the month. He said the dispatch center recorded 3,876 calls, MPD handled 1,787 calls and dispatched 3,201 calls, and officers responded to 17 accidents. Chief Switzer also noted that MPD officers dedicated approximately 28 hours to court appearances related to ordinance, traffic, and criminal cases, and that officers completed required state-mandated training and participated in community engagement events including school tours and media ride-alongs.

Fire Department leadership reported 113 calls for service in May and 495 calls year-to-date. The fire chief said a probationary firefighter, Skyler Melton, completed EMT training at Southeastern Community College and passed the required test; two newer firefighters, Ketchum and Reed, began EMT training and will finish later this summer. The department experienced an equipment outage when Engine 23's air conditioner required a part that was ordered from Texas and was out of service for about a week before repair.

The fire chief also announced that the department was awarded a small equipment grant from the Office of the State Fire Marshal for just over $17,000 to purchase vehicle stabilization equipment used during extrications. "Our equipment ... is almost 20 years old and so it's great to be able to replace that with grant money," the chief said, and he credited Captain Tyler Osborne as the author of the grant application.

Council members asked no follow-up questions during the reports. The items were presented for information; no formal council action was recorded on the public-safety reports.