Healdsburg Police Chief Matt Jenkins delivered his annual department update to the City Council on Monday night. Amid pages of statistics and trends, key themes emerged:
In 2025, calls were up and crime was down. Reported crime was down 17% over 2024, including burglary down 71%, vandalism down 69% and auto theft down 67%.
While overall crime is down, the City saw increases in specific categories: assaults increased by 25%, counterfeiting and forgery increased by 80%, family offenses doubled and liquor law violations doubled. Jenkins told the council: “While some of the absolute numbers are small, these are trends worth monitoring.”
Jenkins noted that HPD staff only logged five incidents of use of force in 2025, the lowest in six years. On the other hand, demand for services was high. The dispatch center answered 19,643 calls in 2025 and officers logged 18,341 separate incidents.
The department is increasing its use of technology. Jenkins explained that a new system allows officers to communicate with the public in multiple languages through their body-worn cameras. This technology is in use in the field and at the department’s walk-in dispatch center.
Eleven Flock traffic cameras are in use, and Jenkins pointed out that networked cameras played a role in tracking and apprehending the people who kidnapped a man at Gibbs Park, a situation that was safely resolved.
The Community Oriented & Equity (CORE) Policing Team is making an impact. Jeff McGee, the social worker employed by the City, works out of the Police Department. He engaged with people 562 times last year; most contacts were for mental health issues, non-criminal complaints and calls for service related to those experiencing homelessness.
Jenkins referenced the department’s annual military equipment report (in the City Council packet). Currently, the department stocks drones and non-lethal launchers and munitions. In 2025 drones were used five times: three times for training and twice for aerial surveillance in active incidents. There were no uses of non-lethal devices.
Staffing is an ongoing concern for the department. Currently approved for 18 police officers and six dispatchers, there are multiple vacancies. Jenkins stressed that with these staff shortages, “We’re operating at 76% of authorized strength—13 effective patrol officers and three effective dispatchers.”
Jenkins said he plans to focus on wellness programs in 2026. “Officer wellness is not just about taking care of our people—though that’s reason enough—it’s about ensuring we have healthy, resilient officers capable of making good decisions under stress and serving the community effectively over full careers. We are prioritizing mental health resources, peer support, physical fitness, and work-life balance for our personnel.”
Volunteer community members made a presentation to the council about the advantages of a nonprofit housing and land trust, which would raise funds to offset the impacts of the high cost of housing in Healdsburg. The efforts would be aimed at supporting the “missing middle” category of housing, working families who are priced out of the housing market but don’t qualify for low-income assistance. The council praised the work of the Healdsburg Housing Trust and urged the group to continue its work.
Toward the end of the meeting, the council agreed to agendize a discussion on the use of Flock surveillance cameras, which have come under increased scrutiny. No date has been set for that discussion.
City Council meetings take place twice a month at 401 Grove St., in Council Chambers starting at 6pm, and are streamed live at facebook.com/cityofhealdsburg.
