More calls for service, more traffic stops and twice as many reported burglaries kept Storm Lake police busy in September, while the city’s firefighters spent much of the month on fire prevention and public outreach.
The Storm Lake Police Department handled 2,639 service calls during September, an increase of 539 from the 2,100 reported during the same month last year. That’s a roughly 26% increase. Year to date, officers have logged 23,453 calls, compared to 22,601 through September 2025.
According to the department’s monthly public safety report, officers recorded six burglaries, double the three reported a year ago. Police also logged three stolen motor vehicle cases, compared to none last September and three adult sexual assault cases, compared to none a year ago.
Other categories moved in the opposite direction. Disturbance calls fell from 27 to 21, domestic disturbances declined from six to four and drug investigations dropped from 10 to four. Scam reports decreased from eight to six.
Traffic enforcement saw a substantial increase. Officers conducted 456 vehicle stops, up from 289 in September 2025, and issued 355 traffic warnings, compared to 263 a year ago.
Police investigated 35 traffic accidents, including four involving injuries. Last September, officers reported 30 accidents, two of which involved injuries. Police also responded to 21 motorist assists and 12 reckless driver complaints.
Public service activity included 121 citizen assists, up from 90 last year. Officers conducted 810 security checks, compared to 607 in September 2025. Police also handled 38 animal complaints, 21 bar checks, 14 welfare checks and five alarm responses.
Officers assisted other agencies 43 times with ambulance calls and 13 times with fire department calls. Police also recorded 20 assists involving city or county departments and 27 assists to the law department.
The investigations division completed 201 felony follow-ups, 160 misdemeanor follow-ups and 52 juvenile follow-ups during September. Investigators cleared 16 cases and executed 11 search warrants. The division also reported seven intelligence investigations, two surveillance investigations and three investigation callouts.
The department’s K-9 unit recorded no deployments or dog-assisted arrests during the month but completed 34 hours of training. Across the department, officers logged 47.5 hours of overtime during the reporting period.
Meanwhile, the Storm Lake Fire Department reported no structure, vehicle or brush fires in September. Firefighters responded to one other active fire, two gas odor or leak calls, nine false alarms and five other calls.
Through the first nine months of 2026, the department has responded to six structure fires, four vehicle fires and seven brush or field fires. Those totals compare to two structure fires, three vehicle fires and two brush or field fires during the same period last year.
False alarms remain a significant part of the workload, with 76 reported through September, down from 83 a year ago. Gas odor and leak responses have also declined sharply, from 33 during the first nine months of 2025 to seven this year.
Fire prevention and community outreach continued throughout September. Crews completed 28 rental inspections, six commercial inspections, seven life-safety presentations or drills, four daycare or school inspections and five fire station tours. The department also recorded 24 public relations and outreach activities.
Year to date, firefighters have completed 146 rental inspections, 50 commercial inspections and 249 public relations and outreach activities. The department has conducted eight fire investigations so far in 2026.
