Police chief gives annual report

In the City of Shelton in 2023, sexual and aggravated assaults increased from the previous year, while burglaries, thefts and larcenies, hit-and-run incidents and criminal traffic citations decreased.

But no big trends emerged from the figures compiled in the Shelton Police Department’s annual report, Chief Chris Kostad told the Shelton City Council May 7 at its regular meeting.

“Everything is pretty much consistent with the past couple years,” said Kostad, who replaced the retiring Carole Beason in November.

The department’s call for service increased from 11,064 in 2021 to 12,070 in 2022 to 13,212 in 2023. The number of arrest reports were 504 in 2021, 578 in 2022 and 520 in 2023.

Three murders occurred in Shelton in both 2022 and 2023 following one in 2021. The three homicides last year were all from gunfire, Kostad told the council.

The department wrote 292 traffic accident reports in 2023, compared with 278 in 2022 and 272 in 2021. All three traffic fatalities last year were caused by alcohol or drugs, the chief said.

Hit-and-run accidents decreased from 77 in 2022 to 62 in 2023, while the number of injury accidents also decreased from 73 to 62. Police responded to 13 DUI accidents in 2023 compared with 15 in 2022 and nine in 2021.

Comparing 2022 with 2023, rapes increased from 14 to 23, cases of aggravated assault from 35 to 45, simple assaults from 133 to 134 and violation of no-contact orders from 46 to 51. During that same period, cases of incest decreased from one to zero, statutory rape from three to two, and unlawful imprisonment from five to three.

In 2023, department officers used force 14 times. Intoxication was an “aggravating factor” in five of the incidents, mental health twice. In 2022, department officers used force 22 times.

Last year, department members attended more than 2,875 hours of training.

The K-9s Lex and Valor were deployed 25 times during 2023 and apprehended 11 people, Kostad said. The reasons for those 25 deployments were six burglaries, five warrants, five assaults, three domestic violence assaults, two pursuits, two court order violations, one arson and one theft.

Kostad said one of the department’s biggest successes in 2023 was earning its four-year accreditation with the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs. The report states it is a comprehensive review of the department’s internal policies, procedures and practices over 145 standards set by the association, including training, records and evidence management, hiring practices and complaint investigations.

In his report, the chief wrote he has many goals for the department this year.

“On the forefront is to improve community relations with the development of community programs and implementation of technology that will help maximize not only the communication from the police department out in the community, but also the community into the police department.”