Police release 2021 annual crime statistics and complaint data

Published on February 07, 2022

Menlo Park, Calif. — The Police Department continues to work with our community partners, residents and businesses toward the goal of a safer city. Annual crime statistics and complaint data are provided on our website and open data portal. Since 2014, the department committed to transparency by annually reporting the outcome of complaints filed against our personnel as part of the annual report.

In 2021, the Police Department responded to over 20,000 calls for service, conducted over 3,550 traffic stops, over 870 pedestrian and bicycle stops, wrote over 2,200 reports and arrested 560 individuals. The resulting 2021 crime statistics showed a slight decrease in reported violent crime (homicide, rape, robbery and aggravated assault); 43 incidents in 2021 and 47 reported in 2020. There were no reported homicides in both 2020 and 2021.

Property crimes (burglary, larceny, auto theft and arson) in 2021 decreased by more than 28% in comparison to 2020. There were 558 property crime reports taken in 2021 compared to 776 taken in 2020.

The Police Department investigated six internal affairs cases in 2021, which was the same number for 2020. It should be noted that these six complaints are out of 32,420, or 0.01% of contacts with the public. This is a 40% decrease from 2019 for both years, where 10 internal affairs investigations were conducted. When reviewing internal and personnel complaints, it is important to look at the number and types of service calls officers respond to within the evaluated period. It is inevitable that given the total number of public contacts, there will be situations where a member of the public is not satisfied with the service received and has the right to file a complaint and/or an employee’s conduct or behavior warrants an investigation.

The use of body cameras has allowed supervisors to review incidents mentioned by complainants immediately. This review allows for an examination of a situation as it happened based upon the facts, as opposed to recollection. The police department is constantly striving to decrease the number of complaints by being transparent and professional in all contacts and service to the public.

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Contact:
Nicole Acker
nmacker@menlopark.org
650-330-6325