An overall decrease in crime, successful intervention initiatives, and staffing tactics were some of the key topics that Hutto Police Chief Jeffrey Yarbrough discussed during his recent quarterly update to the City Council.
Overall, the total number of offense and incident reports written to date in 2023 has dropped by over 35% as compared to 2022 despite a higher volume of calls for service as Hutto continues to grow.
Intervention initiatives build the foundation for success
The Department has implemented several intervention initiatives in 2023, including the creation of a traffic enforcement division and the addition of a Victim Services Coordinator, as well as EMT and drone operator certifications for officers.
While work continues to fully staff the traffic enforcement division, higher visibility has contributed to a lower number of traffic infractions and has allowed other patrol officers to reduce their response time to non-traffic related incidents.
Khila Coleman, the Hutto Police Department’s Victims Assistance Coordinator, has responded to over 100 calls since joining the Department in early 2023. With the goal of collaborating with government and social service entities to improve victim services support and reduce the impact of crime in Hutto, Coleman has assisted with cases involving family violence, structure fires, suicides, sexual abuse, robbery, assault, and others.
Additionally, an HPD officer has earned his drone operator license, which has been used to track persons at large and provide additional response to high-risk incidents. Another HPD officer has earned his EMT certification, allowing him to provide life-saving measures until paramedics arrive. More officers are looking to achieve this certification in the near future.
Staffing levels remain a high priority
Like many law enforcement agencies in Central Texas and around the country, staffing is a key priority for the Department. As HPD grows alongside Hutto’s population, the Department currently has eight sworn officer vacancies with another four included in the proposed budget for FY2024. With six cadets currently training in the Hutto Police Academy, the Department’s recruitment team is hard at work identifying and recruiting top talent from around the state and around the country to join Team Hutto.
Officers honored as Department nears prestigious accreditation status
During his quarterly presentation, Chief Yarbrough also shared that the Department is on track to receive accreditation from the Texas Police Chiefs Association. Currently less than 200 law enforcement agencies have achieved this prestigious accreditation, which recognizes Departments who ensure that general orders and policies are consistent with best practices.
Several individual officers were recognized for achievements. Corporal Chris Carpenter was awarded with the HERO Award by Mothers Against Drunk Driving. The organization also recognized officers Sarah Halstrom, Rooshad Irani, Sean Morrow and Tawni Moody with their Outstanding Service Award. Finally, Assistant Police Chief Dwain Jones became just the 46th command level police officer in the State of Texas to graduate from the Law Enforcement Command Officer Program with the Texas Police Chiefs Association.
Click here to view Chief Yarbrough’s full presentation. Those interested in learning more about joining the Hutto Police Department are encouraged to visit JoinHuttoPD.com.