City of Lakewood announcement.
LPD responding to increases in property crime, evasions, and accidents
Lakewood, Wash. – Chief Mike Zaro presented the Lakewood Police Department’s 2021 Annual Report to the Lakewood City Council on Monday, March 28. LPD experienced a series of challenges in 2021. The department lost 20% of its personnel to a wave of retirements. New legislation often inhibited officers from detaining suspects and limited their ability to pursue or restrain them. COVID-19-related jail booking restrictions kept some habitual offenders free.
Total crime increased by 2.93% in 2021. Property crimes (e.g. theft, vandalism) increased by 7.54% and person crimes (e.g. murder, assault) increased by 5.92%. Accident reports increased by 20.16%. Lakewood’s total crime rate remains far below rates from the 2000s and prior.
The department noted a troubling increase in evasions. New legislation was passed to restrict pursuits, and attempts to elude police have increased tenfold since. 31 suspects attempted to elude LPD in December 2021, compared to a monthly average of 2.73 elusions in the three years prior.
In Zaro’s estimation, reduced manpower, limited recourse for officers to detain or pursue, and limited jail capacity were all contributing factors to the increases in crime.
As a department, we did a good job to educate our folks and adapt as best we could to the new laws. Some of the flaws became apparent very quickly, particularly with the pursuit and use of force laws.
LPD Chief Mike Zaro
The department administered over 15,000 hours of training, an average of 159 training hours per employee.
LPD recently hired a new class of 20 officers to restore the department to full strength. New officers will staff investigative teams and afford more resources to investigate property crime. The recent legislative session also afforded some important flexibility to help officers catch more criminals.
LPD responded to 36,865 calls in 2021, including 2,485 domestic violence calls, 2,544 suspicious person or vehicle calls, and 4,139 welfare checks.
LPD also has a specialized unit where an officer is dispatched with a mental health professional to respond to individuals in crisis. The Behavioral Health Contact Team (BHCT) responded to 347 episodes, and helped facilitate 185 admissions to behavioral health resources.
Between legislative improvements, new officers coming aboard, and the apparent decline of COVID-19, I fully expect improvement in public safety and our service to the community.
LPD Chief Mike Zaro
So proud of our Police Department. Chief Zaro truly cares about & supports the Lakewood community.
Every citizen should let Olympia & Washington DC know that crime can only be curtailed if our officers can pursue, apprehend and investigate the actions of the abuser. Most politicians live a protected life, average citizens rely on laws and law enforcement.
Proud Lakewood Citizen for over 30 years…
Our PD is the very BEST 💙💙💙
THANK YOU Chief Zaro, Officers and Staff of Lakewood Police Department. The Difference YOU Make, 24/7, is indispensable to the secure confidence we all enjoy in our daily affairs. While safety is everyone’s business, the courteous example and responsive presence of LPD service provides a calming expectation of help when called. And call we shall, as your report shows, exceeding 100/day.
Best wishes from the grateful community you serve.
Good job! I live in Tacoma now and nightly I listen to gunshots. I know all police departments are doing the best that they can with the resources they are given. Please be safe. We need you!