Waco PD Detectives saw an increase in car thefts and burglaries at the beginning of the year. Although they've made multiple arrests, these crimes continue and we want you to stay vigilant. Detective Jason Bihl breaks down what you can do to keep your valuables safe and help with future investigations like these! 

Crash Reconstruction is one of the most important tools we use when investigating a crash. Officer and Crash Reconstructionist Luke Brisco sits down to talk not only about his job and how we contributes to the investigations but also crash safety and how we can all be safer on our roadways. 

Hello Waco! We are BACK and ready to share our stories with you!! We've taken a bit of a hiatus but we are ready to get back at it, informing you all there is to know about Waco PD, the good we're doing in our community, and the hot topic crimes we want you to look out for! Our first episode back in 2024 is all about our website, we give a detailed walkthrough on what you can do and learn at WacoPolice.com. Feel free to listen but know there is a video version on YouTube and Facebook so you can see exactly what the website has to offer. Enjoy!

Last year we celebrated Faith & Blue Weekend and with so much success it grew to a whole WEEK this year! Sit down with us and Pastor Chuck from Glory Bell Church to talk about all the fun and exciting events happening in Waco from October 1 - 9.  Faith & Blue was launched to facilitate safer, stronger, more just, and unified communities by directly enabling local partnerships among law enforcement professionals, residents, businesses, and community groups through the connections of local faith-based organizations.  

The Behavioral Health Network (BHN) and Waco PD have partnered to hire new Behavioral/Mental Health Clinicians in our Dispatch center to help with calls for service where an officer might not be necessary. This four-year grant is under BHN so both organizations can provide a better, quicker, and healthier response to those suffering from a behavioral or mental health crisis.  

The Housing and Community Development team is partnering with Unidos and the NET Unit at Waco PD! Find out what fun things are in store and how you as a current or new homeowner can receive funds for much-needed safety work around your home! 

A new series within the Waco PD on the BEAT podcast is "Never Quit, Never Forget" which is the motto within our Special Crimes Unit. This unit handles some of our most high-priority cases, homicides. Moving forward, we will highlight unsolved homicide cases. Sit down with us and detectives of the Special Crimes Unit as they dive into the cold cases and recently unsolved homicides of Waco. To start, this homicide case has not gone cold but is our one homicide of 2023, so far, that is not solved. Jamerson Hawthorn was killed on April 19, 2023. His mother was left wounded from the shooting, and she sits down to talk about what life has been like since Jamerson was killed, and Detective Thompson lays out why this case has been difficult to solve.   

The 3rd annual Back to School Bash is right around the corner! Come celebrate with us on July 29th from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Richland Mall! 

The Police Athletics League (PAL Club) is a new non-profit organization led by community leaders within the City of Waco in partnership with the Waco Police Department. This program aims to connect law enforcement with next-generation leaders to positively impact lives and our community through developing effective avenues of sportsmanship, teamwork, and personal growth. We believe Waco law enforcement exists to uphold peace and that true peace is found in healthy, trust-based relationships which offer hope and purpose. The PAL Club is always accepting donations for upcoming programs, if you would like to donate please email the President, Chaplain Richard Thompson at rthompson@wacotx.gov. For all other inquiries please email palclubof9@gmail.com.

The K9 Unit has welcomed two new K9s to our unit. K9 Echo and K9 Cayden are the two newest members making every officer in our K9 Unit a working handler. Learn what it has been like training these new K9s as Sergeant Adam Fuller talks about the ins and outs of the K9 Unit!

Waco PD's Traffic Unit has seen an increase in drivers speeding and running red lights. These two bad habits can turn deadly quickly, Sergeant Chad Ashworth with the Traffic Unit talks about the rules of the road, what he's seeing while out educating the public, and how you can keep everyone safe while on the road! 

The Animal Control Unit has recently joined the Waco Police Department! Supervisor and Animal Control Officer Christina Thane talks about all the work they do and how they're helping the city and WPD each day to keep our community safe and our pets too! From snakes to raccoons, cats, and dogs the ACU takes care of them all! 

The Community Opportunity Event (COE) is back for its second year! Our youth represent the future; therefore, as a community, we need to do everything we can to guide them on the right path to success. The COE promotes a holistic approach that addresses the root causes of teen gun violence through community resources and healthy lifestyle choices which can help create safer and more positive environments for young people. Hear about all the excitement for this year's event on May 20th at the Dewy Community Center from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. 

April is Child Abuse and Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The Advocacy Center for Crime Victims and Children join us to talk about how their services help those victimized by crime and what you can do to be an advocate for victims of crime. If you or anyone you know is a victim of crime please call the Advocacy Center at (254) 752-9330 or their Crisis Hotline: (254) 752-7233 Toll-Free: (888) 867-7233.

The Crime Scene Unit is not your average CSI episode, they are dedicated working individuals, and contrary to a sworn officer they are a unit of professional staff members that help our officers collect evidence of a crime. Learn more about our Crime Scene Unit in this episode with Supervisor, Matthew Davis.  

The Waco Police Department is excited to announce the start of the new UNIDOS Program. UNIDOS is a Latino Community Outreach program designed to provide assistance to Spanish-speaking residents throughout the city of Waco and its surrounding areas. This is more than a law enforcement-based program. We will host quarterly meetings with the first one this month! Officer Anita Gomez and Nora Almanza talk to us about why they wanted to bring this program to Waco. For updates on UNIDOS follow them on their Facebook page, UNIDOS Waco. 

The Career Criminal Apprehension and Supervision Team is just one more vital part of the Waco Police Department. Sergeant Jeremy Angel of CCAST talks about the job he and his officers do to get repeat or violent offenders off our streets and maybe even help change the path they continue to lead down. 

Warning: This episode speaks to suicide prevention and awareness. You Matter. Suicide is the leading cause of death in the united states according to the CDC. Our officers are called to mental health crises, daily, as well as those at the Behavioral Health Network. We work together and other local organizations to help those having Suicidal thoughts and those who know or lost a loved one to Suicide.    If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts please reach out by calling the Suicide Crisis Lifeline at 988.

On this episode of Waco PD on the BEAT we are talking to the Sergeant of the Assault and Financial Crimes unit. If you have ever been a victim of an assault or scammed out of any amount of money, this group of detectives is here to solve your case. Sergeant Matthew McCallister sits down to talk about why this team is an essential part of our Waco Police Department.

Keith Vaughn has worked for the Waco Police Department for 38 years. Starting at the age of 19 before the minimum age requirement moved to 21 he has worked in every division in the department and in just about every position. Learn about his career at Waco PD and also what he likes to do outside of work.