By Sara Beth Williams–
Overall crime in key categories tracked by the FBI has dropped in Citrus Heights by 54.5 percent from 2007 through the end of 2025, the Citrus Heights Police Department said Wednesday during a police department report given to the Citrus Heights City Council annually.
A chart shared by Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte spanning the last 19 years shows that crimes against persons remained fairly static over the years, with minor increases and decreases. Property crimes spiked in the year 2010, according to the chart, then decreased and increased over the years, leveled out, and dropped again to their lowest point in 2025.
“That is an unheard-of drop in crime,” Turcotte said with emotion, expressing appreciation for the effort of everyone in the department, both professional and sworn-in staff. “Couldn’t be more proud of the team.”
In 2025, crime dropped overall by an average of six percent from 2024, decreasing in all categories, including crimes against persons, which decreased by seven percent; this includes assaults, domestic violence, and assaults against police officers.
Crimes against property, which include burglary, larceny, theft, and arson, decreased by eight percent, and crimes against society, which include homicide, rape, robbery and aggrevated assault, decreased by almost two percent.
Compared to 2023 and 2024, aggravated assaults were higher this year than 2023, but lower than 2024. Burglaries and motor vehicle thefts trended downward from 2024 stats. Stats for homicides and rape were not shared.
The annual police department report is generally presented to the City Council each March or April and traditionally highlights crime data from Part 1 of the FBI’s uniform crime reporting program, which includes different categories of crimes against persons and crimes against property. However, crime data was not broken down into smaller categories this year.
Traffic fatalities remained at three, the same as in 2024, but DUIs decreased from 103 to 80. Property damage tied to traffic collisions also decreased slightly. Traffic citations and arrests decreased by a total of 25 percent, and DUI arrests decreased by 22 percent. Turcotte said he is hoping to bring in more traffic enforcement.
The police department also was able to audit almost the entire warehouse and was able to release 85 percent of property back via new 24/7 access lockers, Turcotte said.
Twenty-three firearms were seized, and over 200 firearms were destroyed last year. Additionally, an estimated $800,000 worth of narcotics was also seized by the department’s IMPACT unit.
The sUAS team, or the drone team, assisted on seven missions and completed 633, or 85 percent more flights this year, helping identify persons responsible for discharging illegal fireworks throughout major holidays during the year.
In using license plate reader technology, Turcotte said crime clearance rates for cases increased by six percent from 2024 and 19 percent from 2023. Over 32,000 stolen plates were captured using Flock technology, and 663 stolen vehicles were recovered.
The Animal Services department received a $5,000 donation to go toward microchipping for 2025, and was able to hold two free microchipping events for families with pets. The department has also been enhancing an after hours model for animal services response by training other officers how to handle animal control calls when animal control officers are off duty.
The department report also highlighted department accomplishments including promotions, retirements, and youth, and civic engagement activities.
Turcotte said the overview of statistics was a “high-level” look at the data from the last year, and that many statistics weren’t able to be covered in his report.
The City Council praised the police department for their hard work, with Vice Mayor Porsche Middleton saying the department is doing an “exceptional job.”
