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Wadsworth police report shows rising calls for service, expanded investigations
Summary
Police Chief Dave Dorland told the Public Safety Committee that 2026 calls-for-service were running about 20% higher year‑to‑date than 2025, and the 2025 Annual Report highlights increased investigative workload, investment in training and tools such as body cameras and FLOCK LPR.
Police Chief Dave Dorland told the Wadsworth Public Safety Committee on May 13 that the Emergency Dispatch Department handled 3,625 calls in April, 463 of them through 911, and that there were 1,774 calls for service (CFS) in the month. "In April, the Emergency Dispatch Department handled 3,625 calls," Dorland said, and he added that year‑to‑date CFS through April were 6,760 — roughly 20% higher than the same period in 2025.
The chief presented the department's 2025 Annual Report and said a high proportion of officers are early‑career: about 45% of officers have less than five years of experience, and the department has emphasized training and wellness to support that cohort. Dorland said the department completed a body‑worn camera refresh using a state grant and continued investments in SWAT, K‑9, and a new SWAT van. He also highlighted drug and major‑case work, noting the department expanded how it reports drug cases (tracking case counts as well as seizure quantities).
Dorland said incident reports have grown more time‑intensive: the department reported about 390 incident reports year‑to‑date (an increase of roughly 50% from the prior comparable period), and warrant arrests were 92 for the year so far — up about 44%. "That Warrant Arrest category fluctuated from year to year," he said, but the higher number reflected more warrants being honored when WPD encountered an entered subject.
The report described continuing community outreach — school visits, Coffee with a Cop, safety camps — and said School Resource Officers play both security and relationship‑building roles in local schools. Chief Dorland and Safety Director Dan Chafin also described a threat‑assessment process built on best‑practice models to evaluate students of concern with a multi‑disciplinary team, including counselors, administrators and SROs.
Looking ahead, Dorland asked the committee for feedback on the Annual Report format and for guidance on data the Council would like to see in future annual publications.
