Thursday, October 1, 2026
The Olympia Police Department (OPD) reported declines in several crime categories in the first half of 2026, while dealing with staffing challenges that have reduced service capacity.
OPD Chief Shelby Parker presented a midyear update to the Community Livability & Public Safety at a meeting on Sept. 23.
The presentation covered crime trends, recruitment, crisis response, enforcement activities, and the department’s implementation of recommendations from the independent police auditor’s 2025 year-end report.
Felony assault was down about 12 percent, rape 21 percent, commercial burglary 17 percent and auto theft 28 percent compared with the same period in 2025. Residential burglaries increased by eight incidents, and criminal trespass rose about 32 percent.
Parker said midyear figures are not full-year projections because crime trends can vary seasonally.
The chief also addressed two homicides during the first half of the year, saying both deaths resulted from domestic violence.
Since the period covered by the midyear figures, two more people were killed by gunfire in an ongoing dispute. Those deaths will be reflected in a year-end report.
Parker said investigators have devoted hundreds of hours to the cases and the people involved are moving through the criminal justice process. The department is also examining opportunities for violence prevention, as well as using patrol officers, investigators and other resources to address violent crimes.
The OPD responded to 27,925 calls for service requiring an officer response during the first half of 2026. About 3,400 police reports were filed and more than 2,000 public disclosure requests were fulfilled.
Calls for service rose about 5 percent from the same period last year, while the department’s Crisis Response Unit (CRU) made 3,852 contacts during the same period, about 30 percent more than in the first half of 2025.
Parker said the increase may reflect greater community familiarity with alternative response, improved internal processes, and the department’s ability to respond proactively.
About 80 percent of the CRU contacts were resolved by the unit alone; the remaining 20 percent involved CRU working with police officers.
The unit responds to people experiencing a behavioral health crisis and other situations where a specialized response may be appropriate. Officers can join in when a situation involves crime, an immediate safety concern, or a need for law enforcement authority.
“We believe that effective service starts with matching the response to the needs,” Parker said. “Having multiple responses allows our department and our community to receive a thoughtful and effective response.”
The department recorded 1,685 arrests during the first half of the year. Eighteen involved juveniles, or about 1.1 percent of the total.
The department has 88 authorized commissioned positions. Parker said vacancies, training and leave have reduced its available service capacity.
Parker said 11 positions are vacant, 10 officers are in academy or field training, and seven are on various types of leave. Those factors leave 28 commissioned personnel unavailable for deployment.
The patrol division has 28 officers assigned, four fewer than its contractual minimum of 32. The shortfall requires overtime to cover minimum shifts, with some officers working up to 16 hours. A fully staffed patrol division would have 40 officers.
Parker said staffing shortages reduce time available for proactive patrols, traffic enforcement, neighborhood problem solving and visible police presence, which are priorities identified by residents in a recent community survey.
“Vacancies and patrol, walk-in patrol and traffic have a real effect on our ability to do proactive work when staffing is tight,” said Parker, adding the department’s responsibility is to make sure officers can respond to calls for service.
The department hired 16 people in 2026, including patrol and CRU personnel, a record for the department. Newly hired officers need about a year to complete academy and field training before they can work independently.
Recruitment incentives include $25,000, paid over time, for qualified lateral officers and a smaller employee referral incentive. Three lateral officers had been hired under the lateral incentive in 2026.
Parker said the department is focused on filling vacancies and moving new hires through training to rebuild patrol capacity.
The department is also addressing community concerns about potentially illicit massage businesses operating in Olympia.
Parker said police are contacting massage businesses to explain licensing requirements and conduct compliance inspections, prioritizing work based on community reported concerns.
Parker said the initial focus is education and compliance, with further investigation or enforcement when warranted. The work is expected to continue, with results to be shared in a year-end update.
According to Parker, the department has implemented all but one recommendation from the independent police auditor’s 2025 year-end report. The remaining recommendation, a more comprehensive review of use-of-force incidents, is in progress.
Changes include updates to supervisor use-of-force investigations, limits on simultaneous Taser deployments, and a policy requiring officers to keep body cameras unmuted after a use-of-force incident until a supervisor relieves them.
The department also provided training on canine deployments, behavioral crisis response and the WRAP restraint system, and strengthened evidence collection and supervisory review procedures.
Parker said the 2026 midyear auditor report has been drafted and will be presented to the Community Policing Board at a later date.
1 comment on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here
Honestyandrealityguy
The local leaders need to respect the police so more don't quit and others apply. Also, hats off to the local police and Sherriff Sanders for helping to get crime down.
Yesterday at 9:18 PM Report this