For months, public safety has been a primary concern for city leaders, as a perceived spike in crime was used to justify an increase in police spending and the introduction of controversial city ordinances to ban public camping and loitering in parking areas. Data produced by ELPD, however, shows a modest uptick in overall crime and a slight decrease in violent crime in 2025 compared to 2024.
The city assembled a task force headed by Police Chief Jennifer Brown to address concerns about public safety late in 2025. Among other measures, the committee recommended the city and Downtown Development Authority, or DDA, budget about $377,000 more annually to hire four new police officers and implement bans on public camping and loitering in parking areas.
The city approved the additional police spending and the bans on camping and loitering have drawn fierce backlash at recent city meetings, but are still being considered by the City Council…