BY DEBBIE PAGE

Troutman Police Chief Josh Watson reported that his department responded to 4,796 calls last year, a 13.11 percent increase over 2023.

However, the number of reportable offenses declined, falling from 561 in 2023 to 464 this past year. The number of reports fell from 623 to 583.

Troutman’s crime rate is 23 per 1,000 persons for property crime, 2 per 1,0000 for violent crime, and 19 per 1,000 for total crime. Watson said Troutman’s crime rate was slightly below Mooresville’s and significantly below Statesville’s.

Of the 252 arrests made by the TPD in 2024, 80 were town residents and 172 were non-residents.

Watson presented the crime data at the Town Council’s recent planning retreat.

Vehicle collisions increased from around 380 to about 490 in 2024, with resulting property damage increasing from 280 to 350 incidents. Accident injuries increased from 55 to 90, and hit-and-run incidents increased from 30 to 50.

The number of incident reports taken by SROs dropped from 103 to 90, a decrease of 12 percent.

Criminal investigations increased from 78 to 100, a 26 percent increase.

Over the past year, Watson divided Troutman into two patrol zones. Zone 1 covers the southern portion of the town while Zone 2 covers the north. One officer is currently assigned to each patrol zone, with the sergeant on duty roving as needed.

This change has resulted in faster response times. Each zone is also broken down into reporting areas to allow the department to accurately track crime and traffic crashes to stay aware of trends as well as aid in the deployment of resources.

Another addition is dispatching officers to all cardiac arrest calls within Troutman to allow for quicker application of AED devices and higher survival rates. The department currently has one AED deployed per shift but will be adding more to have at least one in each zone.

The department also deployed drone technology this past year, using it in missing person incidents, to locate suspects, to perform crash scene reconstruction, to assist other agencies, and for public demonstrations of the technology.

The department’s K9s were also busy, with 53 total deployments to track suspects and missing persons, to conduct narcotics and evidence searches, and to assist neighboring agencies. The TPD’s two 3-year-old K9s also performed in demonstrations.

Watson said each K9 handler and canine team trained for a minimum of 264 hours during 2024.

The chief also had officers participate in extensive training last year. Each officer received 60 hours of state and department mandated in-service training during 2024, significantly above the state required 24 hours.

Officers completed online state-mandated training on legal, juvenile, domestic violence, ethics, and officer safety topics. They also received in-person training involving active shooter response, counter-ambush tactics, less lethal weapons, de-escalation, and firearms training.

Additionally, many officers attended specialized training in leadership/supervision, standardized field sobriety tests, radar operation, Intoxication device operation, and investigative techniques.

In FY 2025-2026, Watson plans to upgrade officers’ Axon X7 tasers after their contract ends to the X10 model, which will also sync with the body camera system the department will seek in 2026.

Watson also wants to add two officers to the Patrol Division to work during the highest call volume times or be used as positions for recruits if needed. These officers are needed to respond to the town growth, the continued increase in calls for service, and additional coverage needs for vacancies, training, vacations, and officers on other assignments.

Because of the retirement of the Support Services lieutenant and a patrol sergeant, Watson said the department will go through a promotion process for both positions and hire to fill the vacancies created.

Watson plans to realign the responsibilities of the Support Services Unit to include supervision of Criminal Investigations with the lieutenant also sharing investigation duties. This change will allow the lieutenant to share on-call responsibilities with the investigator.

When Weathers Creek High School opens, the department will need to hire two additional SRO positions. Iredell-Statesville Schools pays about 80 percent of salaries of SRO positions. These additional SROs will also necessitate an increase in the supervisory staff of the SRO Unit since the supervisor also fills in during an SRO’s absence.

As the population continues to grow and calls for service increase, the TPD will analyze needs for additional personnel and the creation of specialized units in the next few years, Watson said.

The department recruited successfully over the past year. Watson continues to receive applications even when agency has no vacancies, with the vast majority for recruit positions.

Watson said that with recent changes to the Basic Law Enforcement Training program, the timeframe for a new recruit — from application, testing, background investigation, completion of BLET, and completion of field training — is 14 months.

Watson said he prioritizes the retention of current employees over recruitment.

“We have maintained high levels of retention among employees. The national average of turnover in departments is 15 percent. Our rate has been 12 percent. Nationally, most officers leave their agency within 18 to 36 months of employment.”

The town must ensure salary and raises remain competitive and comparable to surrounding agencies, Watson stressed. The command staff must also maintain a positive work environment and encourage a healthy work/life balance for officers, as well as properly equip officers with quality equipment and the latest technology to do their jobs safely and effectively..

Watson also advocated for developing a system that allows officers to progress upward in salary. He wants to create a Police Officer II classification that would require at least two years of service with Troutman Police Department and completion of specific training courses to give the officer a 2.5 percent salary increase.

The next step up would be a Master Police Officer classification, requiring at least three years of service with Troutman Police Department, one year in rank of Police Officer II, completion of specified training courses, and successfully passing a written test. This level would earn a 5 percent salary increase and allow the officer to fill in as a supervisor during absence of a sergeant.

The department will request the purchase of three new patrol vehicles in the upcoming fiscal year for the two new positions, if approved, and to replace a 2011 Chevy Tahoe. Watson asked to purchase three 2025 Ford Explorers because of current market availability, reliability, and cost effectiveness.

Other desired items include Glock simulation training weapons for improved realistic training, a utility trailer to transport items to firearms range and to events or major incidents, and ballistic shields to enhance protection of officers in active-shooter responses, with barricaded subjects, or during the rescue of victims or downed officers

The department will also be starting to work with Axon to prepare for implementation of new body and in-car camera systems at the end of 2026 to ensure a smooth transition and continued access to videos needed for court process after expiration of the current contract.

The Axon system has been chosen by the state and all surrounding agencies, and going with this system will simplify working with District Attorney’s Office. The system also seamlessly integrates with the Axon Taser and provides several officer safety and real-time situational awareness advantages.

Watson said the department’s current Records Management System is becoming obsolete and lacks compatibility with other systems used by department. The switch to a new RMS will be a major undertaking for department’s records, evidence, and IT personnel.

The department will begin process of working with a vendor to obtain quotes and a migration plan. Vendor choice is limited because of the necessity of compatibility with the computer-aided dispatch system used by Iredell’s Emergency Communications. The goal is to have a transition and implementation roadmap established by early next year.

Watson said the department has to respond to the growth of the town while not losing sight of engagement and partnership with the community.

“As we move forward, the department will continue to focus on developing partnerships with the community,” he said.

The department’s community policing efforts last year included developing relationships with residents and business owners, making presentations to schools and other organizations., identifying problems in early stages, responding to complaints and concerns generated by the community, and providing support to other town departments.

Community engagement and partnerships are important to Watson and his officers. “Every statistic the department uses is more than just a number; they each represent a person.”

“The relationships that officers build with residents, businesses, and visitors are of extreme importance.”