Storm Lake’s public safety agencies have released their January 2026 activity reports, showing a busy start to the year for both police and fire crews.
The Storm Lake Police Department logged 2,405 service calls in January, up slightly from the same month last year. Property crime reports showed notable changes: burglary cases dropped to zero from 29 a year ago, while forgery rose to eight compared to four. Officers handled seven drug investigations, 12 domestic disturbances, and 14 general disturbances. Assault cases held steady at two, and there were two adult sexual assault investigations.
Traffic enforcement was active, with 416 vehicle stops compared to 260 last January. Officers issued 352 traffic warnings and made 168 juvenile arrests, up from 129. Juvenile arrests included 11 assaults, 13 drug-related cases, and seven OWI charges. Adult arrests totaled 14, down sharply from 61 last year, with three drug arrests and two municipal infractions among them.
Public service calls included 95 citizen assists, 35 animal complaints, and 796 security checks. Police also assisted other agencies, including 44 ambulance assists and 13 fire department assists. Fees collected for the month included $400 in parking tickets and $140 in pet licenses.
On the investigative side, detectives conducted 111 felony follow-ups, 70 misdemeanor follow-ups, and 91 juvenile follow-ups. They cleared 19 cases, executed five search warrants, and logged nearly five hours of investigative overtime. The department’s K9 unit deployed six times, assisting in one arrest, and completed 17 hours of training.
Meanwhile, the Storm Lake Fire Department responded to a wide range of incidents. Crews handled one vehicle fire, two gas leaks, and nine false alarms. They also logged five citizen assists and three other responses. Fire prevention efforts included three commercial inspections, two fire station tours, and 23 public outreach activities.
Among notable calls:
- On Jan. 6, crews searched the shoreline near East Lakeshore Drive after a pickup truck was found on the ice with one missing person, but no subjects were located.
- On Jan. 12, firefighters extinguished a hydraulic fluid fire on a front-end loader at the city burn pile.
- On Jan. 16, crews assisted with cleanup and traffic control after a two-vehicle crash on Highway 71.
- On Jan. 19, firefighters extricated a deceased individual from a vehicle following a crash on 150th Street.
- On Jan. 24, crews responded to a carbon monoxide alarm on Highview Drive, confirmed the presence of carbon monoxide, and advised residents to stay out until utility crews secured the leak.
- On Jan. 28, firefighters and deputies rescued four juveniles walking on unsafe ice near the Tree Museum.
Other calls included multiple accidental fire alarm activations, a fuel spill cleanup, a broken sprinkler pipe at Lakeshore Drive, and a popcorn mishap that triggered an alarm at Storm Lake Elementary.
