The Springfield Police Department is out with its annual report for 2025. SPD highlights its programs in the report as well as patrol and investigative efforts.
It also points out new technology the department is using, including the Drones as First Responders program. Last year, officers were able to detain a juvenile suspect who was reportedly armed with a gun near the Battlefield Mall by using it Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Unit. The report highlights FUSUS, a cloud-based real-time information center leverage technology to help keep officers and the community safe, especially during critical incidents. Information sources for FUSUS include traffic cameras, security cameras, license plate readers, dispatch systems, body-worn cameras, drones and community-based sources, according to the annual report.
SPD launched a street outreach team in November to work with individuals experiencing homelessness. The two-person team has three primary goals: Engaging with individuals and connecting them with local programs and services; encouraging the use of available resources to support long-term stability; and enforcing applicable state and municipal laws when necessary to maintain public safety. The team is working closely with nonprofit organizations, health care providers and hospitals, according to the department.
According to the report, the Gun Safety & Violence Reduction Collaborative is working – there was a 19% reduction in shots fired calls last year, but SPD said there’s still work to do. The number of people injured by gun fire last year increased 25% in 2025.
Two police academies last year graduated 28 recruits. The report said SPD retirees remained interested last year in continuing their careers with the department after they retired. The temporary reinstatement program allowed SPD retirees the chance to request reinstatement. Twenty-two did and were successfully reinstated.
Police Chief Paul Williams said in the report the workforce is stable because of that program and an increase in recruiting. The goal is to return to normal staffing levels by the end of the year.
The department’s homicide unit made progress on a cold case last year. Eighteen-year-old Jennifer Williams was killed in 1989. Advancement in DNA testing led to the arrest of Paul Bowels who is awaiting trial.
Overdose deaths were down in Springfield last year. Officers responded to 125 overdoses last year, a 30% reduction from the previous year. There were 14 overdose fatalities. Drugs associated with those fatalities, according to SPD, included methamphetamine, fentanyl, marijuana and heroin.
And SPD’s Financial Crimes Unit was trained for the first time in 2025 in seizing and tracing cryptocurrency. That led to the unit successfully seizing more than $118,000 in stolen cryptocurrency, which was returned to victims.
Also last year, the department expanded its grooming standards for officers to allow them to grow beards.
