PIEDMONT
POLICE
SINCE 1907
CALIFORNIA
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
3 Welcome to the Piedmont Police Department’s 2024 Annual Report.
2024 proved to be a transformational year highlighted by the increase to authorized dispatch staffing and construction of the new public safety Dispatch Center.
Our organization also raised our professional bar by becoming an Active Bystandership for Law Enforcement (ABLE) agency.
ABLE provides specific training and resources for agencies to prevent employee misconduct, avoid police mistakes and
promote officer health and wellness.
WELCOME FROM CHIEF BOWERS
2 PIEDMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 20234
Our organizational legitimacy is
based on the ethics and honesty
of each employee to ensure we
earn and maintain trust.
With each personal encounter,
we treat all with dignity and
acknowledge the need for
voice and listening in order to
build trust and find solution.
As dedicated employees, we
are committed to and
accountable for providing
outstanding service.
INTEGRITY PROFESSIONALISM RESPECT
OUR VALUES
The Piedmont Police
Department contributes to
community safety and equity
by continually exemplifying the
best of policing.
The Piedmont Police Department is dedicated to
providing quality service in an honest, ethical and
impartial manner. We strive to reduce crime and
improve public safety by engaging with our
community and utilizing innovative technology.
OUR MISSION OUR VISION
In this report, you will find information about crime data, trends and insight into other core areas including our community programs, investments in technology, and partnerships with our schools.
As I look forward to 2025, I am excited by what lies ahead as we continue to strengthen our organization, complete the new Dispatch Center, and continue to provide a high level of service in partnership with our community.
Yours in service,
Jeremy Bowers, Chief of Police
CRIME TRENDS: 2024 IN REVIEW
AUTOMATED LICENSE PLATE READERS
RESPONDING TO TRENDS
3 PIEDMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
Piedmont experienced a decrease in overall
reportable offenses in 2024 as compared to
2023 across a broad range of crime categories
- most notably robberies, larceny thefts, and
assaults. While overall property crime trended
down in 2024, an increase in burglaries is a
concern.
The Department continually assesses crime
trends and perceptions of safety, and applies
effective policing approaches in a
constitutional, equitable, and just manner.
Crime and measures of crime are complex. Our approach to addressing crime is rooted in a well-trained, fully staffed department that partners with the community to maintain a high level of public safety.
Since 2013, Piedmont Police have used Automated
License Plate Reader (ALPR) cameras to alert
dispatchers in real time when wanted vehicles enter
Piedmont. Officers are then deployed immediately to
locate and take enforcement action.
These numbers show some of the outcomes of the
ALPR program, but don’t tell the whole story. Hundreds
of vehicles fled from officers in 2024. These represent crimes prevented as offenders often use stolen vehicles or stolen plates to commit crime.
Building on the success of this program, we expanded
our ALPR footprint in 2024 with nine new camera
locations.
65 RECOVERED
VEHICLES
ALPR INCIDENT
RESPONSES
771
ARRESTS
FROM ALPRS
16 ALPRS IN
PIEDMONT
48 An ALPR incident or “hit” is when a wanted vehicle comes into our City, is detected by our ALPR system, and patrol resources are deployed to take enforcement action.
ROBBERY
Robbery numbers tend to swing sharply from year to year.
Networks of offenders will repeatedly engage in this behavior until disrupted by investigation and arrest. PPD identifies and arrests a high number of robbery offenders due to effective investigations conducted by detectives, supported by tools such as ALPRs and Public Safety Cameras.
The taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of force or violence and/or by putting the victim in fear.
VEHICLE THEFT
BURGLARY
The unlawful entry of a structure to commit a felony or theft.
After several years of steady decline, burglaries increased this year from 47 reported incidents in 2023 to 76 in 2024.
Employing crime prevention measures such as ensuring
external doors are locked, private property is well-lit, and using technology such as cameras and home monitoring systems can deter burglars and aid investigations when burglaries do occur.
LARCENY
Larceny-theft decreased from 337 reported offenses in 2023 to 206 reported offenses in 2024. The reduction in catalytic converter thefts is a contributing factor in the reduction of larceny-thefts. While the Police Department continuously conducts proactive patrols to mitigate thefts and other crimes, we cannot overemphasize the importance of basic crime prevention actions such as not leaving valuables in vehicles.
The unlawful taking, carrying, leading, or riding away of property from the possession or constructive possession of another.
During 2024, vehicle theft continued to rise throughout the region as criminals take advantage of design vulnerabilities in several models of vehicles. PPD assigns officers to the Alameda County Regional Auto Theft Task Force to aid in dismantling criminal auto theft rings.
The theft or attempted theft of a motor vehicle.
4 PIEDMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
HISTORICAL CONTEXT
Historical data provides important context for the Police Department and the community, allowing us to evaluate current crime levels against past trends.
INCREASED DISPATCH STAFFING
DISPATCH CENTER RENOVATION
In June, we started construction on our new 9-1-1
dispatch center. This long needed project will
relocate the formerly cramped dispatch center into
a space that formerly served jointly as the City’s
Emergency Operations Center and the Police
Department’s conference and interview room.
The former space was severely undersized, unable
to accommodate modern technologies, and located
in an area that has not been seismically retrofitted,
posing risk to continued operations in a
catastrophic event.
Infrastructure upgrades associated with this project
will benefit the entire Police Department, including
a secure and independent electrical system and
backup generator that can power the entire
building.
Construction is expected to be complete in late
Spring.
The workload for dispatch staff has increased significantly over the last decade and will continue to trend upward with the implementation of next generation 9-1-1 capabilities.
Concurrent with the physical space improvements, we’ve
increased dispatch staffing for the first time since 1978. Two new dispatch positions, including a dispatch supervisor, were added last year, a staffing increase made possible by the March 2024 passage of Measure F.
5 PIEDMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
INVESTING IN DISPATCH
Dispatch acts as the nerve center for our community’s access to safety services, fielding over 13,000 calls each year for the Police and Fire Departments. In 2024, we made two critical investments to enhance this function.
Our hard-working Dispatch Team
BARK IN THE PARK
COP ON THE BLOCK
COFFEE, CARS, AND COPS
Cop on the Block brings rank and
file officers into neighborhoods so
residents can get to know them.
Our officers, in turn, have an
opportunity to become familiar with
the unique character of our
different neighborhoods.
Find upcoming events at
piedmont.ca.gov/CopOnTheBlock.
6 PIEDMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
BUILDING COMMUNITY
Trust between the community and our Department is the “secret sauce” in our success. We work to build this partnership and a sense of shared responsibility for public safety through a variety of community programs and events.
Our annual car show, organized
by Officer Tyler Petit, grows in
success every year. Each
September, the community
comes together to spend the
morning connecting with Police
Department staff while admiring
over 100 classic and exotic cars
from across the region.
We teamed up with Public Works for
a series of dog-focused pop-up events
in Piedmont parks this fall. “Bark in the
Park” gives our Community Service
Officers an opportunity to connect
with dog owners and answer
questions about dog licensing, offleash permits, and enjoying our parks with your furry friends.
JUVENILE OFFICER
EXPLORER PROGRAM
The relationships built with the faculty and
staff of our local schools by PPD’s Juvenile
Officer Hugo Diaz play a pivotal role in our
shared responsibility of youth safety.
With extensive training in youth development
and appropriate, non-enforcement, methods
to support youth in our community, the
Juvenile Officer acts as a liaison with local
schools and provides education and outreach
on a wide variety of issues.
7 PIEDMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2024
CONNECTING WITH OUR YOUTH
Building connections with young members of our community is a high priority for PPD. From being at school sites every day to collaborating with school leaders on safety plans, to introducing high school students to the possibilities of a career in law enforcement, we’re there.
Our Explorer Program offers young men and women ages
14 to 21 an introduction to a career in law enforcement.
Explorers learn first-hand about the duties and
responsibilities of police officers and dispatchers and receive training in law enforcement policy and procedures, tactical and physical agility, and forensics.
This program helps students build skills that will serve Explorers throughout their lives - team building, character education, and leadership.
Beyond training, Explorers play an important role in the community by assisting at events like Coffee, Cars, and Cops, the Harvest Festival, National Night Out, and
Halloween Trunk-or-Treat.
Know a student who might be interested? Contact Sergeant Nicole Casalnuovo at [email protected].
PIEDMONT POLICE DEPARTMENT
ANNUAL REPORT 2024