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KNIGHTDALE

Police Department

2023 ANNUAL REPORT

Knightdale Police Department

Contents

Chief’s Message.............................................................................. 3

Our Philosophy of Policing......................................................... 4

Promotions & New Employees................................................. 5

Ofﬁcer of the Year ....................................................................... 6

ARC Award........................................................................................... 6

Community Engagement........................................................... 7

2023 Snapshot.................................................................................... 10

Criminal Investigative Unit ......................................................... 12

Victim Assistance ............................................................................. 13

Mental Health ..................................................................................... 14

Property and Evidence Unit....................................................... 15

Racial Proﬁling................................................................................... 16

Overview of Complaints............................................................... 17

2023 Training Update..................................................................... 18

Succession Planning ...................................................................... 19

Trafﬁc Safety Unit............................................................................. 20

Police Administration .................................................................... 21

Leadership Team .............................................................................. 22

Organizational Chart...................................................................... 22

Police Facilities Project ................................................................. 23

Oﬃcer Ryan Hayworth

Our annual publication is dedicated in honor of Oﬃcer Ryan Hayworth. Oﬃcer Ryan

Hayworth’s legacy of service continues to live on in our department and throughout

our community. Ryan is sorely missed, but we know that a man is never truly gone

unless his memory and contributions are forgotten. In 2023, we paused to honor Ryan’s

memory, reﬂect on his sacriﬁce, and pay tribute to his commitment to people. We are

reminded that compassionate service to others not only mirrors Ryan’s legacy, but it

shows the human spirit at its best. And in 2024, we will continue to embrace the call

that bears his name – Live Like Ryan!

On October 17, 2023, two years after losing Oﬃcer Ryan Hayworth to an impaired driver

who failed to slow down and move over, our agency hosted “Operation Hayworth.” This

multi-agency traﬃc campaign was held on Interstate 540, lasted two hours and

produced a total of 59 violations.

2023 Annual Report

Chief’s

Message

As Police Chief for the Town of Knightdale, I have the honor

of presenting our 2023 Annual Report. The annual report is a

collection of stories, photographs, and data highlighting the

important work we do to serve the people of this

community. We believe that sharing this information helps

us maintain legitimacy, promote public trust, and foster a

sense of mutual respect with those we serve. This report

provides stakeholders with an extensive look into our

organization. The annual report showcases the many ways

we emphasize professional policing and community

partnerships. It underscores our commitment to preserving

a high quality of life for our residents.

This report also aﬀords us the opportunity to be transparent

about our performance in sensitive areas such as citizen

complaints, racial proﬁling, and police use of force. Every

component of this report is tied to recognized professional

standards for 21st century policing and reﬂects our status as

a CALEA accredited agency. It showcases the eﬀorts we

take to minimize risks and preserve public trust through

projects like the NCLM Law Enforcement Risk Review and

the newly created NC Law Enforcement Accreditation.

Again, this report is a succinct but powerful look into the

world of policing in Knightdale. As you read it, we oﬀer the

following insight as well.

The biggest challenge facing ourdepartment and

community is unprecedented growth. As one of the fastest

growing towns in North Carolina, Knightdale has become

remarkably vibrant and diverse. Our public amenities,

quality of life, and proximity to the capitol make it an

attractive place to live, work, and visit. This attraction

creates growth and growth generates an ever-expanding

need for public services. Over the last two years, our

population has soared past 22,000 residents. The Town has

authorized the construction of over 7000 new rooftops,

creating the potential for our population to double in the

coming years. During this same period, the Police

Department’s call volume and workload have increased by

nearly 15%.

Meeting these demands requires us to focus on three vital

areas in the coming years – recruitment and retention of

personnel, the expansion of public safety facilities, and the

incorporation of technology as a force multiplier. Though

we have worked diligently to bolster our staﬃng levels to

pre-pandemic numbers, we must broaden our

organization’s size and service scope to meet the needs of

the future. Policing in the United States is facing a hiring

crisis. Growing our agency in the midst of this national

dilemma will require us to be innovative and competitive as

we seek to hire and retain the best talent possible.

We have made signiﬁcant progress in the design of our new

police facility in recent months. The expansion and

renovation of our current public safety complex will grow

the agency’s structural footprint from about 5000 sq ft to

24,000 sq ft. Such an expansion not only accommodates

our operational and workspace needs for the foreseeable

future, but the new facility will reﬂect the important work

that takes place within its walls. Interestingly, its amenities

will also serve as an important recruitment and retention

tool.

Finally, the advent of various technologies means that we

must explore opportunities to deploy tools that will aid in

enhancing the level and quality of services we provide. Part

of our vision involves creating a Real-Time Crime Center,

deploying technologysuch as drones and automated

license readers, and serving as a leader in information

sharing for the law enforcement community in eastern

Wake County. The challenge ahead of us is to secure

support and funding and to ﬁnd ways to responsibly

leverage these technologies while respecting individual

privacy.

As we enter 2024, our pledge to you remains the same: We

will always strive to be the best we can be, and our

commitment to excellent service will never waver. You

deserve it and you are worth it. On behalf of the men and

women of the Knightdale Police Department, I extend a

sincere thanks to all our stakeholders for your ongoing

support. We are honored and grateful for the opportunity to

be the guardians of this special community. We hope you

see this annual report as evidence of our commitment to

faithfully serving you. Please feel free to reach out if you

have any questions concerning this content, and never

hesitate to call on us if we can be of service.

Lawrence R. Capps

Chief of Police

KNIGHTDALE

Police Department

2023 ANNUAL REPORT