Piedmont’s Police Chief Frederick Shavies delivered the department’s 2025 year-end report to the City Council on Monday night, highlighting a drop in overall reported crime and the importance of the new emergency dispatch center that opened last November.
Burglaries, while slightly lower than in 2024, remain high compared to years past and was a trend reflected regionally, the report said, with auto burglaries driving the increase. Shavies said public safety cameras have helped with the downward trend of theft and larceny and motor vehicle theft in the city.
“It doesn’t always matter what the numbers say if individuals don’t have a sense of safety,” Shavies said, saying the department is using data to find the best ways to deploy its officers.
Flock Safety concerns
Police departments around the Bay Area, including Piedmont, have been using Flock Safety cameras to investigate crimes like stolen vehicles, but privacy watchdogs have raised concerns about federal agencies being able to access the camera data — a violation of state law — and using it for targeted surveillance.
Shavies, along with City Manager Rosanna Bayon Moore, sought to assure councilmembers that they have met with Flock Safety leadership to make sure the company is aligned with the city’s expectations and state requirements.
“We are committed to safeguarding the privacy of all the folks who reside here, that work here, that pass through our city,” Shavies said. “Any and all requests to getting information from our Flock network goes directly through me,” he said, noting that the city controls all data and won’t be engaged in any immigration-related or reproductive-care related searches.
Nevertheless, councilmembers and one resident during public comment asked for more transparency. Councilmembers Lorrel Plimier and Jennifer Long said that it would enhance community trust if the department could share monthly audits of the data collection systems and communicate more broadly with the community about department policy.
During public comment, Piedmont resident Susy Struble (who is also a school board trustee but was speaking on Monday night as a private citizen) said she still had concerns about the city’s relationship with Flock Safety. “We might be doing everything right on our end, but maybe we’re working with a vendor that’s a little unreliable,’ she said citing recent news stories involving the company and the privacy of its networks.
From the city’s report to Council:
The Department continues its use of Flock Safety Automated License Plate Readers (ALPRs) and fixed-position cameras as investigative tools to support crime prevention and public safety. The Department is fully compliant with all applicable California state laws governing ALPR technology, including data retention, access controls, and privacy protections. Data collected through the system is not shared with any federal or non-California state agencies. Furthermore, the Department does not use ALPR data for any criminal or civil immigration enforcement purposes.
City leadership has engaged directly with Flock Safety leadership to ensure alignment with state requirements and community expectations. Department leadership conducts monthly audits of shared access permissions. The Department continues to maintain direct authority over who is granted access to the City network. These safeguards ensure accountability, transparency, and responsible stewardship of this technology in service to the Piedmont community.
In 2025, Piedmont police officers made twenty-four (24) arrests directly related to ALPR cameras. These 24 arrests do not include arrests made by detectives and patrol officers using ALPR and Public Safety Camera technology in follow-up. There were a total of two hundred fifty (250) ALPR incident responses. The Piedmont Police Department recovered thirty-eight (38) stolen vehicles utilizing ALPR technology.
Piedmont Police Department 2025 Year-End Report, March 2, 2026
[Editor’s note: The Exedra is interviewing the police chief later this week regarding the city’s contract with Flock Safety.]
Emergency dispatch center a major milestone
Shavies said the new dispatch center, and having a dedicated dispatch supervisor, were major milestones for the city. 2025 marked the first full year with a dedicated dispatch supervisor, he said. The department received 11,883 calls for service, the year-end report said.
The newly constructed dispatch center officially opened in December 2025 and a ribbon-cutting ceremony was held in January.
Shavies also detailed the department’s community engagement and partnerships with other cities. Outreach events like “Cop on the Block” and the “Coffee, Cops, and Cars” have been popular with residents. The police department also works with Piedmont Unified School District, providing support for campus safety planning, drills, and day-to-day coordination. The department’s Juvenile Officer and other staff continued to work closely with school administrators to address student safety, preparedness, and emerging concerns, per the report.
The department report said priorities for 2026 include:
Fully staffing patrol and dispatch operations to ensure appropriate coverage, workload balance, and operational resilience.
Continuing to invest in comprehensive training to ensure sworn and professional staff are adequately prepared and supported in their roles.
Maintaining proactive and preventative policing strategies that align with community expectations and best practices.
Enhancing internal systems and accountability to support long-term organizational effectiveness and adaptability.