Laramie Police Chief Brian Browne presents the department's annual report in the Alice Hardie Stevens Center on April 11, 2024, during the Laramie Woman’s Club April meeting.
Laramie Police Chief Brian Browne presents the department's annual report in the Alice Hardie Stevens Center on April 11, 2024, during the Laramie Woman’s Club April meeting.
The Laramie Woman’s Club has been involved in the community since 1898 and is still always looking for ways members can lend a helping hand. For the organization's monthly meeting last Thursday, the club invited Laramie Police Chief Brian Browne and Sgt. Craig Lenhardt for a presentation about the department's 2023 annual report.
“I can say confidently that we have a very safe community,” Browne said during the meeting at the Alice Hardie Stevens Center. “We have one of the lowest crime rates in the nation, and ultimately, what we see most is quality of life crimes. You will see some vandalism and some burglary crimes of opportunity. (There are) a lot of juvenile issues, which is typical for a city our size. We deal with underage drinking pretty aggressively. We work closely with our crime prevention partners to make sure that we have appropriate resources for those situations.”
Every year, the Laramie Police Department (LPD) publishes the report to show the community the policing data, calls for service, crime data, citation demographics, parking citations, DUI statistics, bias crimes, use of force, complaint data and community engagement.
Browne highlighted three specific projects that are ongoing or upcoming, including continued community engagement, the implementation of a co-responder model and the 10 ipads gifted by Ivinson Memorial Hospital.
“I really want to make sure the community knows that ultimately this uniform and this badge are not for me, it's not for Craig, it’s for you,” Browne stated. “So if you have a community event, if you have a speaking engagement, if you have a question for our police department, if you have a child that needs guidance or mentorship, we want to be a part of that.”
Report data
In total, the LPD responded to 26,982 calls for service. The most common being traffic stops that were 6,313 of the calls, 1,412 calls about phone messages that required police follow up, and 1,404 calls regarding suspicious activity.
The 2023 reported crime data showed:
• 11% increase in drug offenses (79);
• 135% increase in parking citations (5,749);
• 15% decrease in reported theft (350);
• 82% decrease in aggravated assaults (eight);
• 32% decrease in DUI-related incidents (187);
• 42% decrease in burglary and breaking/entering (39);
• 11% decrease in weapons-related offenses (eight); and
• No changes in sex offense crimes (21) or simple assault (214).
Improvements made
An administrative sergeant position was assigned to the Investigation Division. The position leads the school resource officers, alcohol and oversized permits and helps the Police Advisory Board.
LPD officers were equipped with new Axon Body 3 body cameras to ensure that all calls and exchanges are captured for evidence and transparency. Alongside the new cameras, officers were trained to carry Narcan, a medication used to counter opioid overdoses.
Laramie/Albany County Records and Communications also upgraded old equipment. This upgrade will allow for more precise monitoring of the dispatch equipment, reporting and data collection. It also allows dispatchers to text back individuals who text 911.
Bigs with Badges also was started in 2023. The new program pairs an officer with a child in the community who they will bond with and mentor. Much like Big Brothers Big Sisters, the program has shown to benefit the officer and the children, as the child is encouraged and learns important lessons while the officer develops an understanding and sense of service toward the community.
