Nikole Babb
nbabb@cherryroad.com
During the first Coffee with a Cop meeting of 2025, El Dorado Police Chief Michael Holton and Sergeant John Thompson spoke to the crowd on end of year stats such as crime, ATV registrants, VIN inspections and more.
Donuts and coffee were provided to the crowd of about 15 that attended. The group gathered at the El Dorado Captain Edgar Dale American Legion Post 81 located at 1801 W Central Ave. Chief Holton welcomed and thanked everyone for coming then handed the bulk of the meeting over to Sergeant Thompson.
Sergeant Thompson informed the group that violent crime was up in 2024 compared to 2023. This was due to some shootings and stabbings that place. The duo said there were 15 more aggravated cases in 2024 that were all closed with suspect arrest.
There were 28 more drug cases recorded in 2024 than 2023. Former USD 490 School Counselor Les Limon asked if there were any specific age ranges that were committing the crimes, which they said was mainly college students.
Driving while Under the Influence arrests were up by 12 in 2024 compared to 2023. Overall, the case load for the agency was up by 400 cases as well as citations. The agency is still short three officers but still better staffed than previous years. Chief Holton said that the rise of citations could be attributed to more officers on patrol within the agency.
Since the City Commission passed the ordinance to require All-Terrain Vehicles, (ATV), to register with safety measures, there have been 55 different ATV’s registered through the City. The ordinance was passed in August of 2024.
Since implementing the VIN inspection service at the agency, Chief Holton said there have been 80 citizens who have utilized the service. The service was introduced in October for Tuesday/Thursdays and opened to 24/7 availability this year.
After all the stats were given, the meeting was opened for open dialogue and questions. The next Coffee with a Cop meeting will be July 17 with an unknown location and time. The evening may be an evening time meeting but it’s to be announced as the date grows closer.
