MLPD fields record calls in 2022, keeping patrol officers busy

Apr. 5—MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Police Department responded to nearly 20,000 calls in 2022 — a record number, according to Chief Kevin Fuhr, and one that keeps the department's 45 sworn police officers almost constantly busy.

"I think we're doing a pretty dang good job making sure that we're protecting our citizens," Fuhr said.

In its annual report released last week, the MLPD said officers responded to 19,982 calls for service in 2022, an increase of nearly 200 calls from 2021. Responding to those calls are four crews each made up of a sergeant, a corporal and four patrol officers, Fuhr said, with each crew working a 12-hour shift, four days on and four days off.

While the department has additional specialized officers — detectives, dog handlers, traffic enforcers and school resource officers — at any one time, the roughly 25,000 residents of Moses Lake are effectively protected by six uniformed officers on patrol.

All of this cost the city roughly $9.8 million in 2022, the report said.

"When you're talking about 20,000 calls in a year, you know, and you're averaging four or five officers per crew, per shift, it becomes quite a task," Fuhr said. "We obviously do a lot of prioritizing calls, responding to the ones that are most needed with a quick response."

Fuhr said that also means that many calls — vandalism, reports of thefts no longer in progress — receive significantly lower priority.

"Those we will get to when we can get to them," the chief said.

According to the report, of those nearly 20,000 incidents, officers used force 48 separate times against 47 individuals — or 0.21% of the time. This is roughly the same percentage as in 2021, the report said, despite the increase in calls. Of the 48 incidents, 36 involved physical force used to control a suspect, five involved drawing a firearm, five involved the drawing of a Taser, two involved dog bites, and one involved the actual use of a Taser.

In 2022, the report said one officer was injured during an incident involving the use of force, while five suspects suffered minor injuries — dog bites, scrapes and a bruised elbow.

Fuhr said every instance in which force is used is reviewed by the sergeant in charge of the patrol squad, then by the captain in charge, and then by the chief himself. Body cameras make this easier than it has been in the past, he said, and give officers and department leadership a chance to review every incident and see how officers can improve how they respond.

"During those reviews, we may pick up things that are deficiencies or areas that we can improve on. And we'll make those a training priority," Fuhr said.

For example, the MLPD identified the way officers used language — including profanity — in their encounters with suspects in the use of force portion of the report.

The chief said the issue isn't so much bad language as it is when an interaction with a member of the public starts to become antagonistic, that officers then need to focus on de-escalating a situation rather than anything else.

"Once that happens, there can't be banter back and forth," he said. "We've got to make sure, once we de-escalate, we keep it de-escalated. Our job isn't to ramp it back up. And when you start antagonizing somebody, then all you're doing is escalating the situation."

For 2023, the report said the MLPD hopes to establish a traffic unit to handle accident reports and investigations, hire a criminal analyst to help crunch data, evaluate crime trend statistics and process electronic evidence, hire a community outreach officer to work with Renew, the county's mental health agency, and develop better relations with the city's homeless population.

The report also identifies keeping the department's current officers healthy and happy as a main goal. Fuhr said he's impressed at how many of the department's officers are committed to working in Moses Lake.

"We're not losing people," he said. "I think that's indicative of the kind of department we have as far as a very open and very friendly, family kind of atmosphere. Everybody gets along. We have a lot of fun. Guys work their tails off but they enjoy doing it. And that's the stuff I love."

Charles H. Featherstone can be reached at cfeatherstone@columbiabasinherald.com

CRIME IN MOSES LAKE 2022

Homicide 2

Aggravated Assault 100

Arson 13

Robbery 25

Burglary — Residential 84

Burglary — Non-residential 128

Malicious Mischief 634

THEFTS

Vehicle Parts 212

Shoplifting 506

Other Property 227

Vehicle Prowl 153

Bicycles 80

Motor Vehicles 110