Fort Wright Police Department presented their 2025 report at the February council meeting. Chief Jonathan Colwell highlighted areas of high traffic collisions, staff accomplishments, and ongoing programs.
With 13 sworn officers, 15 patrol vehicles, and a budget of $2,150,446.58, Fort Wright Police Department fielded 7620 service calls in 2025. That doesn’t include mutual aid calls where they assisted other local police departments.
Traffic collisions take up the majority of the department’s time. The Fort Wright Police Department dealt with 786 traffic collisions in 2025. Madison Pike sees the highest proportion of these collisions.
“I think the biggest issue is those flashing yellow lights at the intersection of the east bound and west bound entrance and off ramps from I-275,” Colwell said. “Those have brought on some of the worst collisions we have seen in a while. I have contacted the state.”
The department dealt with criminal activity in 2025, though Colwell says that very little of that crime is committed by Fort Wright residents.
“From a policing standpoint, it’s more of a transient community,” Colwell said.
The Fort Wright Police Department also spent their time providing several popular events and services in 2025. The most well-attended was the Senior Scam Training, lead by Detective Mike Gross.
Additionally, the department held two “Cram the Cruiser” events to collect toy and gift donations for local families. Fort Wright Police Department is particularly proud of this work.
“Through the generosity of the community, the events helped bring comfort and holiday joy to children and families while reinforcing the department’s commitment to caring for its community,” Colwell said in his report.
In 2026, the department hopes to hold a women’s self-defense class and more Senior Scam trainings.
“Our police department is handling a large amount of activity with not a lot of people,” Fort Wright Mayor Dave Hatter said. “I appreciate these reports and I encourage people to check them out to understand just what this department accomplishes.”