By Pat Culverhouse

Statistics for the past five years show the Minden Police Department’s efforts to combat crime are trending in the right direction, according to Chief of Police Jared McIver.

“There is really good news based on what we compiled from 2021 until this past year,” McIver told city council members during a workshop session. “This can be attributed to the officers of your police department.”

One major accomplishment during that period was what the chief called the elimination of gangs that were located in the city.

“We had two gangs here and both have been dismantled. We arrested 26 gang members and about half of them have been convicted and sentenced to at least eight years,” he said. “The others are awaiting sentencing.”

McIver said the men and women of the police department deserved to be applauded for their accomplishments.

A statistical breakdown presented to council members showed calls for service in the city had risen from 8,689 in 2021 to 15,282 through 2025, reaching a peak of  just under 16,800 in 2024.

“Not all calls for service are crime related…there are many circumstances where an officer responds,” the chief said.

Arrests over that same period rose from 840 in 2021 to 1,045 in 2025. A high of 1,225 arrests were recoded in 2024. Another critical category shows reports of shots fired in the city significantly dropped from 145 in 2021 to 57 in 2025.

No homicides were reported in the city during 2025.

MPD’s STEP ((Selective Traffic Enforcement Program), which puts Minden officers on traffic enforcement on Interstate 20 has seen significant grown over the period. In 2021, 645 STEP citations were issued, while the number increased to 5,977 in 2025.

Other statistics gathered over the five-year period show:

• Disturbances/Assault and Batteries dropped from 1,052 in 2021 to 652 in 2025.
• Thefts/Burglaries decreased from 381 in 2021 to 376 in 2025, but the year-to-date numbers reflect a signifiant drop from 416 reports in 2022.
• Animal-related calls dropped from 133 to 93 from 2021 through 2025.
• Two fatal crashes were reported in 2021 while one occurred in 2025. A total of 393 crashes were reported in 2021 compared to 399 in 2025. MVA/Hit and Run showed 617 in 2021; 575 reports in 2025.

“We’re proud of the accomplishments of our officers during this period,” McIver said. “We are fortunate to be fully staffed, unlike many departments across the state and the country. Our visibility is a contributing factor to the success of the department.”