By ANDREW UNVERFERTH

For the Republic-Times

With 2026 now underway, local law enforcement agencies have been able to take a look back at last year and are pleased to report Monroe County once again stayed fairly level when it comes to criminal activity.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department saw 22,290 calls for service in 2025, a notable increase from the 19,008 reported in 2024 which itself was a nearly 2,000 call increase from 2023.

The number of controlled substance arrests handled by the MCSD stood at 68 for the year, double the arrests made in 2024 and surpassing the previous high of 59 recorded in 2022.

Traffic stops saw a fairly minor increase in 2025 – up to 2,909 compared to 2,645 stops in 2024 and still well below the peak recorded in 2021 at 3,390.

Other key statistics reported by the sheriff’s department include a total of 213 accident responses, 25 DUI arrests and 21 Crisis Intervention Team incidents.

Monroe County Sheriff Neal Rohlfing noted the increase in service calls and also pointed to a 154.8 percent increase in jail transports compared to 2020, noting the apparent connection to the state-imposed SAFE-T Act.

Rohlfing also noted the 83 percent clear rate of his department’s 137 investigation cases, and further spoke about the MCSD’s continued efforts when it comes to intercepting narcotics in the county.

“We’ve been trying to do this for a number of years, we finally started in July the Aggressive Criminal Enforcement Unit,” Rohlfing said. “They just go out and look for individuals bringing drugs into the county. They only worked for five months, and they doubled our controlled substance arrests, so I would suspect this following year it’s gonna be even more.”

In Waterloo, Deputy Police Chief Trin Daws reported 11,147 service calls in 2025, down from 2024’s 12,213.

Traffic citations for the Waterloo Police Department totaled 1,268 – just a few citations less than the previous 1,273.

The department saw 307 crash reports last year, up from 214 and closer to the 311 recorded in 2023.

There were a total of 25 controlled substance arrests consisting of either cocaine, methamphetamine or fentanyl, up from 15.

The WPD also recorded four motor burglary reports, down from the 2024 total of 16.

“I could also attribute that a little bit to how our officers have taken a very proactive approach with extra patrols in the subdivisions,” Daws said.

Looking back on the year, Daws noted that the highest profile incident which came to mind for the WPD was the shooting injury that took place in the RMC Cinema parking lot this past fall and which was the subject of court proceedings last week.

Daws summarized 2025 fairly positively overall.

“It’s been pretty well consistent from 2024 to this year,” Daws said.

In Columbia, Police Chief Jason Donjon likewise remarked that numbers from 2024 and 2025 were largely the same.

The Columbia Police Department addressed 16,903 service calls last year, a fair increase from the prior year’s 13,476.

Drug arrests in the city totalled 20 – most of them concerning cannabis – just down from the 23 recorded in 2024.

Traffic citations and warnings were down to 3,950 compared to 4,536, though accident reports were up 272 from 249.

DUI arrests were down slightly at 32 compared to 36 in 2024.

A substantial concern in previous years, burglaries from motor vehicles went down significantly from 29 recorded in 2024 to just 4 in 2025.

“I think with the help of the state’s attorney being so great at charging folks with car thefts or breaking into cars, and the city implemented an ordinance a few years ago of even jiggling handles can be an ordinance violation… after the court system and state’s attorney has been charging those things very well, I do think that maybe that gets around,” Donjon said.

Looking back, Donjon recalled a handful of big memories among the CPD last year, including the aftermath of a plane crash which took place in late 2024 and the carjacking and shooting of Columbia hockey coach Allen Lalk outside the police station in June.

Donjon also noted the resolution of a Jane Doe case originally reported in 2001 – with the department, collaborations with other agencies and advancements in technology finally providing closure for the family of Carol Hemphill.

Speaking on general developments in his department, Donjon noted some of the technology it has accrued thanks to the city, with several grapplers as well as a StarChase system providing means of limiting high-speed chases.

He also pointed to the department’s use of drones and constant visibility as elements that have likely contributed to the city’s crime rate.

“I think that sends a message,” Donjon said. “If you did plan on coming into town to commit a crime, within hours, maybe, or days, we’ve had suspects that were arrested for these things, that helps to curtail any future crime.”

With the county’s smallest department, new Valmeyer Police Chief Terry Marquardt offered his thoughts on what was yet again a fairly quiet year for the village.

“For the most part, there’s not a whole lot that happens down there, which is a good thing,” Marquardt said.

Looking back, the highest profile incident which came to mind was the arrest of Nathan Cole and Justice Douglas, two St. Louis residents who were the subject of a pursuit which began in St. Louis County, traveled along Bluff Road and concluded in the Rock City cave complex.

Marquardt noted the care that incident required as the department couldn’t just chase them into the caves.

The Valmeyer Police Department saw some adjustments among staff last year as new full-time officer Larry Chausse was brought on in July.

In November, longtime Valmeyer Police Chief Marty Seitz officially retired, with Marquardt stepping up and getting a feel for the job over the past two months.

“It’s a learning curve,” Marquardt said. “There’s a lot more computer and desk work than I’ve ever been used to, I’d say… Larry’s a big help. Let him in on a lot of stuff, and between the two of us, we keep plugging away.”

The VPD currently stands with the two of them being full-time alongside five part-time officers – including Seitz.

“From all the other places I’ve been, this is a small town, you work together, everybody gets along well,” Marquardt said. “That’s what we like.”