Levelland Police Chief Erica O’Bryon presented the 2024 Annual Police Activity Report and the 2024 Racial Profiling Report to the Levelland City Council Monday.
To begin the activity report, O’Bryon offered a message: “On behalf of the dedicated men and women of the Levelland Police Department, I am honored to present the 2024 Annual Report. Although I joined the department in December, I have quickly come to appreciate the unwavering commitment and professionalism of our officers, staff and community partners.”
“Our mission is to provide professional, proactive and community-focused policing that enhances the safety and wellbeing of Levelland. We are committed to fostering trust, transparency and collaboration as we work to uphold our core values of integrity, honesty, fairness, courage and compassion.
“In 2024, Levelland continued to be a safe and welcoming community, thanks to the dedication of our officers and the strong support of our residents and city leadership. As we move forward, we will focus on strengthening community partnerships, enhancing public safety initiatives and ensuring our department remains at the forefront of modern policing practices.
“I invite each of you to join us in this mission. Whether through community programs, partnerships, or simply staying engaged with your police department, your involvement is vital in keeping Levelland a great place to live, work and raise a family.
“I am proud to lead this department and serve this incredible community. If you ever have questions, concerns or suggestions, please do not hesitate to reach out.”
It was explained that the LPD along with other law enforcement agencies utilize the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS) to track and analyze crime trends within the community.
NIBRS provides a more comprehensive and accurate method of crime reporting by documenting all offenses that occur during a single incident, rather than only the most serious crimes.
A table was provided with a breakdown of 2024 NIBRS reportable offenses for the Levelland Police Department. The report also includes the crime rate per 1,000 residents, a standard measure used nationwide to assess crime trends.
Crimes against persons increased by 1.38%, crimes against property decreased by 25.36% and crimes against society decreased by 29.36%.
A detailed breakdown is provided below:
Arson
In 2023, there was one arson incident reported while there were zero for 2024.
Assault Offenses
Total assault offenses were up 1.49% as there were 136 reported, and 48 cleared.
In 2024, 51 the offenses were aggravated assault with 20 being cleared. There were 37 intimidation offenses and 20 were cleared. There were 48 simple assault offenses reported and six were cleared.
In 2023, there were a total of 134 assault offenses. Sixty-seven were aggravated assault, 20 were intimidation related and 47 were simple assault.
Burglary/Breaking and Entering
There were 31 total offenses reported and seven were cleared. The 31 reported offenses is a 46.55% decrease compared to 2023 with 58 total offenses reported.
Counterfeiting/Forgery
There were 31 total offenses reported and four were cleared. The 31 reported offenses is a 24% increase compared to 2023 with 25 total offenses reported.
Destruction/ Damage/ Vandalism of Property
There were 49 offenses reported with seven being cleared. The 49 reported offenses is a 22.22% decrease compared to 2023 with 63 total offenses reported.
Drug/Narcotic Offenses
There were 71 total offenses reported with 63 being cleared. One offense was categorized as a drug equipment violation and was cleared. The remaining 70 were categorized as drug, narcotic violations and 62 were cleared.
The 71 total offenses reported is a 29.70% decrease compared to 2023 with 101 offenses reported. All 101 offenses reported fell in the drug, narcotic category.
Fraud Offenses
There were three offenses reported and one was cleared. Two of the offenses reported were categorized as credit card, automatic teller machine fraud. One of those reported was cleared. The third offense reported was categorized as impersonation. It was not cleared.
The three offenses reported is 50% increased compared to the two offenses reported in 2023.
Homicide Offenses
There was one offense reported which is a 50% decrease from 2023 with two reported offenses. The one offense in 2024 was categorized as murder and non-negligent manslaughter and not cleared.
Kidnapping/Abduction
There were four offenses reported with three being cleared. That is a 100% increase of the two offenses reported in 2023.
Larceny/Theft Offenses
There were 87 offenses reported with nine being cleared. That is a 16.35% decrease compared to 2023 with 104 offenses reported.
Motor Vehicle Theft
There were five offenses reported with one being cleared. That is a 73.68% decrease compared to 2023 with 19 offenses reported.
Sex Offenses
There were six offenses reported with one being cleared. That is a 14.29% decrease compared to 2023 with seven offenses reported.
Weapons Law Violations
There were six offenses reported with four being cleared. That is a 25% decrease compared to 2023 with eight offenses being reported.
Calls for service data were also reported to the Council.
Telecommunications received 20,328 calls for service which is a 12.54% decrease compared to receiving 23,243 calls in 2023.
Total agency calls received was 13,200 which is a 13.45% decrease compared to 15,251 in 2023.
A total of 2,265 dealt with traffic stops which was a 23.20% decrease compared to 3,028 in 2023.
A total of arrests was 340 which was a 1.73% decrease compared to 346 in 2023.
A total of traffic collisions was 135 which was an 8% increase compared to 125 in 2023.
In regard to animal control, 862 animals were taken in while 208 animals were adopted, 212 were rescued by organizations, 67 were returned to their owners and four were rescued. There 231 animals that were ownersurrendered and 367 animals were euthanized.
The LPD was involved throughout the community as they participated in Home Sweet HoCo, National Night Out, Levelland Lobo Red, White and Blue pep rally, Trunk or Treat and Blue Santa.
The LPD’s Racial Profiling Report requires the collection of information relating to motor vehicle stops in which a warning or citation is issued and arrests made as a result of those stops, including information relating to: the race or ethnicity of the individual detained; whether a search was conducted and, if so, whether the individual detained consented to the search; whether the peace officer knew the race or ethnicity of the individual detained before detaining that individual; whether the peace officer used physical force that resulted in bodily injury during the stop; the location of the stop; and the reason for the stop. With a total number of stops on the year reaching 2,837, O’Bryon categorized the numbers by section and race.
Street address or approximate location of the stop had 1,746 city street stops, 146 U.S. Highway stops, 169 county road stops, seven state highway traffic stops and 24 private property or other stops.
Stops where race or ethnicity were known totaled 2050, while stops where race or ethnicity was not known totaled 42.
Under race and ethnicity, three stops fell under Alaska Native, American Indian. Among Asian and Pacific Islander, there was one stop. There were 114 traffic stops falling under Black, 750 traffic stops categorized as White, and 1,224 traffic stops categorized as Hispanic or Latino.
By gender, there were 829 traffic stops in the female category and 1,263 traffic stops for males.
Under Hispanic or Latino, there were 474 traffic stops under the female group and 750 under the male group. For the White category, there were 306 in the female group and 444 in the male group. In the Black category, there were 48 traffic stops for females and 66 traffic stops for males.
There were 58 stops due to violation of law. In the Hispanic or Latino category, there were 33 stops, 22 stops in the White category and three stops in the black category.
There were 13 stops with preexisting knowledge. In the Hispanic or Latino category, there were eight stops, five stops in the White category and zero stops in the Black category.
There were 1,533 moving violation stops. In the Hispanic or Latino category there were 893. In the White category there were 553 and 28 in the Black category.
There were 488 stops for vehicle traffic violations. In the Hispanic or Latino category there were 290 stops, 170 stops in the White category and 28 in the Black category.
Traffic stops where a search was conducted totaled 92. Searched stops in the Hispanic or Latino category totaled 54. In the White category there were 29 stops and nine stops total in the Black category.
There were 2,000 traffic stops where there was not a search. In the Hispanic or Latino category, there were 1,170 stops, 721 stops in the White category and 105 stops categorized as Black.
There were 44 consensual searches with 27 being Hispanic or Latino, 15 being White, and two categorized as Black.
Listed under contraband, there were two categorized as White and four under Hispanic or Latino.
There were 38 instances under probable with 21 under Hispanic or Latino, 10 listed as White and seven listed as Black.
There were 63 instances with discovered contraband. In the Hispanic or Latino category, there were 51 instances, 25 in the White category and five were in the Black category.
There were 25 instances where contraband was not discovered. In the Hispanic or Latino category, there were 43 instances, 13 in the White category and seven in the Black category.
Contraband dealing with drugs totaled 36 instances. There were 22 instances being Hispanic or Latino, nine being White and five being Black.
Contraband with weapons totaled one instance categorized as being White.
There were 18 instances with contraband labeled under alcohol. Sixteen instances were categorized as Hispanic or Latino, one instance categorized in the White category and one instance categorized as Black.
There were 19 instances labeled as other with 13 categorized under Hispanic or Latino and four categorized under the White category and two categorized under the Black category.
There were 1,057 verbal warnings. There were 618 instances categorized as Hispanic or Latino. There were 377 instances categorized under the White category and 58 categorized under the Black category.
There were 643 written warnings. In the Hispanic or Latino category there were 351 instances, 266 were in the White category and 26 were in the Black category.
There were a total of 378 citations with 351 instances being Hispanic or Latino, 266 being White and 26 being Black.
There were a total of eight arrests with five being Hispanic or Latino and three being White.
Arrests based on violation of penal code totaled six with five being Hispanic or Latino and one being White.
There were two arrests based on violation of traffic law with one being Black and one being White.
Arrests based on outstanding warrants totaled six with five being Hispanic or Latino and one being White.
There was one instance of physical force resulting in bodily injury used during a traffic stop under the Hispanic or Latino category.
There were 2,091 instances where no physical force was used resulting in bodily injury used during a stop.
There were no reports of racial profiling submitted.