The DeLand Police Department has released its 2021 Fact Sheet which is a compilation of significant data from last year. The department has been committed to community policing and precision policing principles which are paying off. Some significant findings are:

Only 1.4% of the 72,824 times our officers came into contact with the public resulted in a criminal arrest. Of those arrests, only 0.8% of them required any use of police use of force beyond officer presence and verbal communication to make the arrest.  In addition, the DeLand Police Department had no instances where the use of deadly force was necessary.

The DeLand Police Department has been actively working to recruit a diverse set of individuals who each bring unique skillsets and life experience to our department. Compared to the city’s demographics, the demographics of our sworn officers almost exactly mirror each other. On average, 13% of all law enforcement officers in the United States are female. The DeLand Police Department currently employs 6 sworn female officers which make up around 8% of the department. There is also a myriad of civilian female employees in a variety of different roles within our department.

From 2020 to 2021, violent crimes went down from 188 to 163 and non-violent crimes went down from 870 to 690. The changes equate to a 13% drop in violent crimes, a 21% drop in non-violent crimes, and an overall 19% in all crimes reported.

By being more representative of the people we serve and focusing on precision policing principles such as enhanced training and increased transparency we are working to keep building trust between the DeLand Police Department and our community. We believe that these actions have helped to reduce crime and make DeLand a safer place to live, work, and visit.