Annual report shows crimes against children, illegal drug use remain significant problems in Kokomo
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(Editor’s note: This is the third and final installment in a series examining the performance of the Kokomo Police Department, as reported to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, for the year 2024. Find previous installments concerning Internal Affairs and Patrol by following the links.)
When a crime happens, the Kokomo Police Department’s investigators are called to the scene. Their work makes or breaks a case and helps ensure justice is served. In 2024, the Criminal Investigation Section cleared and closed most of the cases it investigated.
Last year saw a reduction in assigned cases, with just 232 criminal investigations conducted. Of those, 170 involved crimes against persons while 62 involved crimes against property. KPD closed 113 cases during that time and cleared another 97. At the end of 2024, 39 cases remained open, including some cases from earlier years.
Sadly, child abuse and neglect remain a significant concern in the community. KPD disclosed 485 reports of abuse or neglect filed with Child Protective Services. Investigators conducted 54 interviews with children at Tomorrow’s Hope, the department’s special facility designed to speak with children in a safe, comforting in environment about the trauma they have witnessed or received.
A total of 54 cases of crimes against children were investigated, including 31 cases of alleged molestation. CIS members also provided liaison with the department’s Prevent Child Abuse committee, the sexual assault response team, the child fatality review board, and the child protection team.
Detectives investigated two homicides in 2024, and worked on eight “cold cases” which are updated annually and reopened any time new information is developed. They logged 356 overtime hours in performing their investigations.
To assist in these activities, the Kokomo Police Department invested in its detectives. They now have a crime scene scanning device and mapping software, and three investigators have been training in its use. New cameras and external hard drives were assigned to the detectives, and the department’s interview rooms were upgraded with new cameras and recording systems.
The Kokomo Police Department maintains a Digital Crime Unit, tasked with investigating crimes taking place over the internet. That unit examined 176 devices as part of criminal investigations and provided similar services for outside agencies 49 times. It worked on 104 county-wide cases and performed examinations of 127 cell phones.
The department’s Forensic Crime Lab stayed extremely busy in 2024, handling 9,472 requested tasks. These included 133 DNA analyses, 132 items processed for latent prints, 116 firearms traces for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) processing of 103 shell casings, 95 drug examinations, 213 criminal cases processed, and four instances of providing assistance to other agencies.
Forensic investigators also documented evidence with photos and measurements in 1,415 instances and packed items for submission to an outside lab 1,648 times.
While the detectives, digital sleuths, and forensic examiners performed their work, they were supported by KPD’s crime analysis unit. Led by an analyst with a doctoral degree in criminology, the analysis unit contributed expertise to 65 criminal cases in 2024.
Crime analysis experts review prosecutorial reports and track data on individual criminal charges to determine crime trends, recidivism rates, and the success or failure of the department’s crime reduction efforts. They assisted KPD investigators on 30 cases, helped the patrol unit on 20 occasions, got involved in one special investigation, and aided other agencies five times.
The Inspectional Services Unit secures, transports, and tracks all evidence gathered in the investigation of a crime. In 2024, the unit received 2,714 evidentiary items, 188 of which eventually were returned to the owner. The department destroyed 588 items by court order or officer instructions.
KPD’s Special Investigation Unit (SIU), also known as the Drug Task Force, conducts long-term, undercover drug investigations. It also gives informational presentations to local civic organizations, churches, and departments within the criminal justice system.
Over the past two years, the unit has brought charges against 15 individuals allegedly involved in drug trafficking. It also tracks the prevalence of different narcotics on Kokomo’s streets.
“While the use of methamphetamine has made a resurgence in the Kokomo/Howard County area, the Drug Task Force Detectives have continued their efforts to clear the streets of this dangerous drug,” the report states. “The Drug Task Force Detectives have continued focused efforts on dealers selling heroin and fentanyl in efforts to lower the number of overdoses that have been reported in the community.”
Outside of trafficking charges, SIU established 111 drug-related cases in 2024 and made 29 arrests. It brought 118 felony charges against suspects and worked 42 active cases. In the process, investigators made 66 controlled buys of narcotics and executed 17 search warrants.
As a result, SIU operatives recovered 7.3 grams of fentanyl, 48.01 grams of heroin, 901.5 grams of methamphetamine, 21.94 grams of cocaine, 1,554.41 grams of marijuana, 67 grams of prescription medications, and 26 grams of mushrooms.
The full 2024 annual report is available for review on the City of Kokomo’s website – www.cityofkokomo.org. Look for it on the Kokomo Police Department’s page.