New Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office report shows faster response times
The Stanislaus County Sheriff's Office released its annual report Friday morning.
In 2024, average response times for "priority one" calls in unincorporated areas dropped from nearly eight and a half minutes to seven minutes, a full minute faster than the year before.
Priority one calls are the most urgent incidents, such as shootings, major disturbances, or other life-threatening emergencies.
Sheriff's officials credit the improvement to several factors, including increased aerial support. A helicopter is now deployed seven days a week, typically flying from 3 p.m. to 3 a.m., providing real-time updates to ground deputies.
"A deputy may not physically be on scene on the ground, but we have eyes on overhead," said Sgt. Nathan Crain. "They're giving us second-by-second updates as to what's occurring down below."
While most areas saw improved response times, Waterford and Patterson experienced slight increases. The sheriff's office said that's due to safety protocols requiring deputies to wait for backup before entering potentially dangerous situations.
The office also noted a 29% increase in proactive policing in 2024, as newer deputies fresh from the academy actively patrol and respond to incidents without waiting for a 911 call.
Officials said the department's goal is to continue reducing response times across the county in the coming year.
