All photos/Kokomo Police Department (Facebook)

Annual report shows 34,567 calls for service; patrol gets tech upgrades

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The heartbeat of a police department is its patrol unit. These officers are the first responders; the men and women most often encountered by the public. And their performance reflects directly on the department’s professionalism, efficiency, and effectiveness.

The Kokomo Police Department released its 2024 annual report recently. The Kokomo Lantern reported earlier on overall crime statistics and the internal affairs unit. This time around, the focus is on patrol. Watch for the third and final installment of this series, which will focus on Special Investigations.

“The goal for Patrol Division is to continue to work towards rebuilding and bettering ourselves as a department,” the report states. “The ever-changing civil and criminal law presents new challenges to us as a community and as a police department.”

Kokomo Police officers responded to 34,567 calls for service in 2024 and made 1,187 adult arrests, along with 416 arrests of juveniles. They completed 1,698 accident reports and had 444 vehicles towed.

Not every encounter of alleged wrongdoing ended in an arrest. Officers wrote 635 citations for infractions, such as speeding. They also issued 137 citations for alleged misdemeanors and eight more for alleged felonies. Many motorists -- 1,210 of them -- were let go with just a warning.

"The majority of each individual incident involves at least two officers, if not more," the report states. "These include traffic stops or when an additional officer is requested on scene."

The previous year was a particularly safe one for officers. No officer injuries were reported that were more serious than "minor cuts, scrapes, and sprains." No life-threatening injuries occurred, and officers were involved in no police action shootings.

The department's patrol division engaged in 14 (listed as 16 as well) vehicle pursuits in 2024, some of which extended beyond the city limits.

"The Officers continue to conduct themselves in pursuits just as they have been trained and according to Department policies and procedures," the report states in reference to these pursuits.

The department disclosed that overtime was routinely utilized for maintaining manpower minimums as well as for training and recertification, testifying in or attending proceedings in the Howard County courts, patrolling the city's parks, and providing security at Kokomo Beach.

One of the department's most loved -- and feared -- aspects of law enforcement is its K9 unit. The dogs were very busy in 2024. The unit was involved in 282 arrests last year, with the dogs being deployed in 27 of them. They made 3,397 total calls for service.

Two unfortunate suspects were apprehended via the full deployment of a K9 (bites), while 18 suspects chose to surrender rather than face the dogs' teeth.

The K9s once again proved effective by recovering more than a pound of methamphetamine and more than two pounds of marijuana in 2024. They also recovered 70 grams of cocaine, 101 prescription pills, seven grams of heroin, one gram of fentanyl, 15 grams of mushrooms, and more than $2,000 in cash.

K9 action resulted in 19 search warrants being issued, along with the seizure of 15 guns and 40 syringes.

The patrol division received some investment in 2024. Body-worn cameras are now utilized by all officers and have been upgraded to allow for live-streaming. Each camera also provides GPS data. Recorded video automatically is tagged with the recording officer's information and is automatically downloaded once recording stops.

“This has helped tremendously with concerns from the community, transparency, and complaints,” the report reads.

The department also began outfitting patrol vehicles with in-car cameras that function similarly to the body-worn cameras. The cameras are equipped with license plate recognition features and can record incidents that take place in the forward and rear compartments of the vehicles.

The audio from these cameras is also captured and automatically transcribed, decreasing officer time in writing reports.

Officers received new crime deterrent equipment in 2024. The department's Tasers were upgraded to units that boast a 45-foot range and the ability to deliver 10 electrical discharges before needing reloading.

The Patrol Division also received four Recon Interceptor E-Bikes; motorized bicycles that enable officers to go quickly where other vehicles cannot, such as the city's many walking trails. It also added a new drone unit, training four officers to pilot the FAA-approved devices. The drone comes equipped with infrared imaging, low-light capabilities, high-intensity spotlights, and video recording.

One of the most vital aspects of patrol operations is accident investigation. Patrol officers with specialized reconstruction training were dispatched 1,217 times in 2024, resulting in 730 case reports.

The officers investigated 164 cases of personal injury, 503 cases of property damage, four fatalities, and 131 cases of motorists leaving the scene of an accident. Of these dispatches, 46 percent of them were resolved at the scene.

Accident investigators received an accident scene laser scanner late in the year, which was utilized once for a fatal traffic accident. They also received a surveyor mapping tool, updated crash data retrieval equipment, and a drag-factor calculation computer.

Patrol officers also issued 303 citations and 708 warnings during 982 traffic stops in 2024. They made 115 traffic-related arrests.

Finally, the police department and Kokomo School Corp. continued their partnership, with four School Resource Officers working full-time in the school facilities.

“The Kokomo Police Department continues to work diligently with the Kokomo School Corporation to provide security and safety to the students and Kokomo School Corporation staff,” the report stated.