LUBBOCK, Texas (KCBD) – Lubbock’s police chief is touting an overall reduction in crime as the department released its 2025 annual report.
For the third consecutive year, Lubbock has witnessed a 12 percent reduction in Part 1 crimes. The reduction comes despite an increase in population, a decreasing ratio of officers per thousand citizens and expansion of the city’s borders.
The department reports violent crime and deadly crashes were lower in 2025 compared to 2024.
Crime statistics
Lubbock police enforcement efforts drive down crime for third year(LPD)
For crimes classified as Part 1, which are the most violent crimes such as murder, aggravated assault and sexual assault, there was about a 12 percent decrease overall. Compared to last year, the total number of violent crimes fell by nearly 20 percent.
Murder, robbery, and car theft were the charges with the biggest percentage drop from 2024 to 2025.
Police Chief Seth Herman credits LPD’s level of enforcement for its continued decrease in criminal activity.
“Our personnel are out there beating the bushes, looking for bad guys and solving crimes,” Herman said. “That’s not just at the officer level, but throughout investigations and all the collateral assignments throughout this department. This place would not work without every facet that comes together in this big wheel to make it keep rolling forward.”
Traffic crashes
LPD also handled fewer crashes in 2025. The report shows a steady drop in crashes starting in 2022. From 2024 to 2025, there were about 1,000 fewer reported crashes, with 6,479 collisions reported last year. LPD reports 2,300 of those crashes had injuries and 23 people died because of them.
The department reports nearly 58,500 traffic stops were initiated last year.
The proactive enforcement efforts extended by the Motors Unit and LPD patrol personnel who devote time not expended on calls for service to addressing traffic enforcement contributed to the decrease.
Herman explains the efforts extended by the Motors Unit and LPD patrol personnel who answer calls for service while addressing traffic enforcement are a major force in keeping the public safe.
“Everything that we put in our patrol cars, everything that our officers carry on their person, or in those patrol cars, are to better protect citizens, because that is our main function, folks,” Herman said. “Our main function in society is to protect good people from bad people. That’s it. Everything else is smoke and mirrors sometimes, and it’s necessary.”
New fleet
One of the latest investments the department is making is into a new fleet of black Tahoe’s. The department opted for a solid-color design rather than the traditional black-and-white paint scheme. Herman says this choice will save taxpayers anywhere from $2,300 to $2,500 per vehicle. He believes each unit will also have a higher resale value one it is decommissioned and auctioned.
“They’re just more efficient vehicles, and to be quite honest, they’re a larger vehicle,” Herman said. “We get [into] collisions quite often in the performance of our duties. A lot of that has to do with pursuing bad guys, and I need our officers as safe as possible.”
The first phase of new vehicles, 50 in total, was ordered for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. This included 38 patrol units, nine supervisor vehicles and three command vehicles. All of these units were deployed by the end of 2025.
The second phase will consist of 47 vehicles. These will go on patrol during the 2025-2026 fiscal year, including 35 patrol units, nine supervisor vehicles and three command vehicles.
The centerpiece of each new unit isn’t the dual siren or the cost-effective exterior, it’s a series of stars displayed toward the rear of each car. Each one serves as a tribute to fallen Lubbock Police officers.
“I hope that those number of stars do not increase,” Herman said. “My fear is that they will. Unfortunately, I think the inevitability is, over the course of time, they will.”
Staffing and recruitment
In the report, the city manager reports LPD ended the year at 98 percent sworn staffing, with a vacancy rate for sworn law enforcement officers of approximately 2 percent.
Herman is looking for ways to keep those officers and find more.
“I think a lot of people are not quite understanding of what it takes to recruit good people,” Herman said. “A lot of them get lost in the testing. A lot of them get lost in the background. We may start off with 300 initial applicants, and by the time the academy’s done, you graduate 10.”
In 2025, the City of Lubbock and the Lubbock Professional Police Association entered into the first-ever meet and confer agreement in Lubbock. The agreement largely focused on hiring while increasing both the number and experience of applicants, as well as moving experienced applicants to the streets faster than ever before.
The meet and confer agreement included improvements to allow lateral hiring of licensed and experienced applicants as well as enhancements to the traditional recruiting process.
Herman is hoping to expand the police force to more than 500 officers.
Technology and community engagement
Last year, LPD ushered in a line of technology investments to better serve and inform the public. The public crime map and online crime reporting systems are both active and updated. Officers also received a new electric citation technology to improve efficiency and safety for officers and the public during traffic stops.
Community engagement was also a focus for the department during 2025. LPD members participated in numerous local civic and educational events, including the Explorer Post program and the Citizens Police Academy.
Cold case solved
While focusing on the present and the future, the department remains committed to addressing unresolved cases from the past. 2025 saw the resolution of the Christopher Perez homicide case. This cold case dates back to the 2009 murder of Christopher Perez. Detectives, Forensics Unit personnel and members of the Metropolitan Special Crimes Unit were able to solve and close this case in 2025.
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