Storm Lake’s August public safety report shows a month defined by high call volume, increases in several categories and steady activity for fire crews as summer winds down.
The Storm Lake Police Department handled 2,618 service calls in August, up from 2,536 during the same month last year, according to the department’s monthly report. Year‑to‑date, officers have logged 20,814 calls, slightly above last year’s pace.
Property‑ and person‑related calls saw several notable shifts. Burglary reports more than doubled from last August, rising from four to nine, and scam reports also increased from five to 10. Officers responded to four assaults, one child abuse case and two dead body scenes. Disturbance calls climbed to 38, while domestic disturbances fell to four. Drug investigations dropped sharply to five, compared to 13 last August. Police also handled six harassment reports, 20 suspicious person calls and 11 suspicious vehicle calls.
Traffic activity remained heavy. Officers conducted 539 vehicle stops — nearly identical to last year — and issued 424 traffic warnings. Police investigated 24 traffic accidents, including two with injuries, and responded to 17 motorist assists and seven reckless driver complaints. Improperly parked vehicle reports fell to seven, down from 15 last year.
Public service calls continued to make up a large share of police activity. Officers handled 117 citizen assists, 50 animal complaints, 21 bar checks and 18 welfare checks. City code enforcement saw a dramatic drop to just one case, compared to 108 last August. Security checks surged to 674, well above last year’s 463. Police also responded to two alarm calls, 10 found property reports and three missing person cases.
Storm Lake officers assisted other agencies throughout the month, including 45 ambulance assists, 12 fire department assists and 28 assists to the law department. Detectives completed 230 felony follow‑ups, 122 misdemeanor follow‑ups and four juvenile follow‑ups, clearing 11 cases. Investigators logged 47 hours of overtime. The department’s K9 unit recorded no deployments in August but logged 160 hours of training.
Police collected $100 in parking ticket revenue, $381 for report copies, $60 in pet license fees and $200 in funeral escort and miscellaneous fees.
Meanwhile, the Storm Lake Fire Department responded to one structure fire, one other active fire, one citizen assist, 15 false alarms, two carbon monoxide calls, one EMS assist and three other responses in August.
False alarms remain high year‑to‑date at 67, though still below last year’s 76. Fire crews also completed 16 rental inspections, four commercial inspections, five life‑safety presentations, three fire station tours and 28 public relations and outreach activities. The department conducted one fire investigation for the month.
