Police present second‑quarter crime and fireworks call data; council questions online reporting and enforcement

Chief Patrick Smith presented Lakewood Police Department statistics for the second quarter on July 20, reporting net reductions in calls for service and many crime categories alongside specific increases in other areas.

The chief said gross misdemeanors were down about 22%, misdemeanors down 14%, warrants down 20% and an overall crime reduction of 13.4% for the quarter; he also reported motor vehicle thefts were up 11.2% and shots‑fired calls rose roughly 10% in the period covered. The chief noted the department recorded one homicide related to a domestic incident, which remains under investigation. On fireworks, the department compared July 1–6 call volumes over multiple years and described dispositions including "canceled" (caller withdrew or online report handled without officer response) and "unfounded" (no evidence when officers arrived). Captain Johnson and a South Sound 9‑1‑1 representative explained that online reporting is retained for data analytics and hotspot identification and can reduce immediate officer dispatch for non‑emergency reports.

Council members asked for more detailed breakdowns of collision causes (speed, impairment, distraction), whether online reports include locational analytics for enforcement planning, and whether a comprehensive fireworks ban would change citation rates. Council also discussed using data to guide engineering solutions (medians, roundabouts) in addition to enforcement. The chief and staff said more granular traffic cause data exist and can be provided to council.