Title
Public Safety Update
Recommended Action
Committee Recommendation:
Not referred to a committee.
City Manager Recommendation:
Receive a public safety update.
Report
Issue:
Whether to receive a public safety update.
Staff Contact:
Shelby Parker, Police Chief, Olympia Police Department. 360.753.8147
Presenter(s):
Shelby Parker, Police Chief
Background and Analysis:
Police Chief Shelby Parker will provide an update on Q1 & Q2 2026 crime data, staffing levels, hiring and recruitment efforts, and the Department’s progress implementing recommendations from the Police Auditor’s 2025 year-end report.
The Olympia Police Department (OPD) regularly uses data to monitor crime trends, evaluate service demands, and guide deployment and resource decisions in the community. During the first half of 2026, the Department responded to 27,925 calls for service requiring an officer, completed 3,398 reports, and conducted 3,852 Crisis Response Unit (CRU) contacts. These figures demonstrate the continued importance of both traditional police services and alternative responses in meeting community needs.
Crime, arrest data, and service-delivery data continue to inform Department strategies and help ensure resources are directed where they can have the greatest impact.
The Department’s authorized staffing includes approximately 129 full-time positions: 88 commissioned and 41 non-commissioned. The Department also benefits from the contributions of community volunteers, including Volunteers in Police Service (VIPS), Police Explorers, and Police Chaplains.
Staffing trends are moving in a positive direction. Although retirements and other vacancies have created opportunities for promotion and advancement within the organization, they have also resulted in a number of open positions. As of the end of June 2026, the Department had nine commissioned vacancies.
At the same time, the Department is seeing encouraging progress in recruitment and hiring. This year, the Department has hired eight officers and four CRU members, with additional candidates still moving through the hiring process. Several additional hires are anticipated during the third and fourth quarters of 2026. Hiring incentives and focused recruitment efforts are helping strengthen the applicant pipeline, and the Department is increasingly well positioned to improve staffing stability over the coming months.
OPD continues to prioritize patrol staffing to ensure a consistent and reliable response to calls for service. At times, this has included temporarily reassigning personnel from specialty functions when needed. These staffing decisions have not impacted daytime Walking Patrol assignments for officers or CRU members. As staffing levels improve and employees complete training, the Department expects to increase its capacity for proactive policing, specialty services, and community engagement.
The Department has also been developing its enforcement approach regarding illicit massage businesses following the City’s adoption of code changes in the third quarter of 2025. Staffing limitations affected how quickly proactive enforcement efforts could begin; however, the Department recognizes this as a priority and is actively implementing a plan to address illicit massage businesses as resources allow and enforcement efforts evolve.
Chief Parker will also provide an update on implementation of the recommendations contained in the Independent Police Auditor’s 2025 year-end report. The report was published in May of this year. To date, OPD has implemented a number of policy revisions and Department-wide training.
The Department continues to strengthen its capacity to respond to the community’s public safety needs. Crime and service data are informing deployment and resource decisions, while the Crisis Response Unit remains an important component of the Department’s alternative response strategy. Recruitment and hiring efforts are increasing staffing capacity, and the Department continues to advance enforcement priorities and implement the Police Auditor’s recommendations. Together, these efforts support data-informed deployment, expanded response capacity, and continued improvements in Department operations.
Climate Analysis:
No climate impacts are anticipated.
Equity Analysis:
This update supports equity by promoting consistent and reliable public safety services across the community. Data-informed deployment and CRU services help the Department respond appropriately to differing community needs, including behavioral health-related calls. Recruitment and retention efforts also support a stable workforce capable of providing fair, professional, and reliable service to all community members.
Neighborhood/Community Interests (if known):
Community members have an ongoing interest in crime trends, police staffing, service levels, response capacity, and the Department’s ability to provide proactive and community-focused policing. This update provides transparency regarding current service demands while highlighting the Department’s progress in recruitment, staffing, and organizational capacity.
Financial Impact:
This update does not have a financial impact.
Options:
1. Receive a public safety update.
2. No not receive a public safety update.
3. Schedule the briefing for another date.
Attachments:
None