Centralia Police Department Chief Andy Caldwell spent the majority of his nearly two-hour town hall Thursday, March 20, driving home one message: Centralia is a safe place.
From the ambiance in the room of nearly 20 attendees and some of the topics brought forth, the perception from those in the community was different from the chief’s more optimistic view. But his goal with the town hall was to change the narrative in Centralia.
“We had some talk of crime seeming to be getting worse in Centralia, and it’s just not true. What you’re going to see is a trend that crime is actually getting better. We’re reducing crime,” Caldwell said, referring to data reports each audience member received. “It’s an effort I’m going to try to put more effort into to get people to see that things are trending really well in our community, because we do want to create a community that people want to come to.”
Caldwell, who was promoted to chief of police Feb. 11 after serving in an interim role, was joined by commanders David Clary and Buddy Croy and Sgt. Michael Barela to answer community questions about a variety of topics, homelessness being one of the most prominent issues discussed.
Caldwell recalled a time when transients lived in motor homes throughout the community just two years ago and noted that the transient population has reduced since then, crediting the Recovery Navigator Program.
“I think it’s actually not as bad as it was two years ago. Unfortunately, as things ebb and flow, right now we just see them out a little bit more,” Caldwell said. “I think we are trending in a healthy direction of providing the resources now. One question that does come up is that there are people who want help and people who don’t want help, but it doesn’t mean we stop trying.”
Caldwell agreed in part with a community member’s concern that there is a direct correlation between more services for the homeless community and an increase in the population. He said the department will always try to provide services to those who want it, but if they reject the services and are committing crimes, the law will be enforced.
“If we enforce the law, we do see that as an effective deterrent to make it not attractive to those who don’t want services,” Caldwell said.
Barela said the majority of calls he’s received in recent weeks comes from transients trespassing or committing acts of disorderly conduct. According to the department’s monthly reports, officers responded to 126 criminal trespass calls from January and February 2025, down from 156 through the same timeframe in 2024. The data does not clarify if the criminals trespassing are transients, however.
Officers have seen a roughly 18% decrease in calls for service in complaints compared to last year, with 1,918 calls in the first two months of 2025 compared to 2,325 last year. The biggest reductions have been in booked arrests, 23%; warrants served, 31%; shoplifting, 55%; and summons requested or issued, 63%.
Traffic infraction notices rose 3% from 2024’s total compared to 2023’s, and criminal misdemeanor citations increased 9%.
The four officers also tackled concerns about drug use in Centralia, namely fentanyl and methamphetamines. Caldwell said that overdose deaths are down “remarkably” but that officers are also seeing a remarkable rise in methamphetamine production despite a reduction in fentanyl.
“What we’re seeing is less seizures of fentanyl and incredible ones of meth coming back, all still coming from the same sources,” he said.
One community member asked the officers if they are enforcing federal immigration policies, to which they answered a resounding “no.” Caldwell responded that the department doesn’t have time to address non-criminal immigration violations and is going to enforce local and state laws, not federal laws. He added that CPD is following the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs’ Feb. 26 statement that local law enforcement is not focused on federal laws or involved with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“We are adhering to the statement that, while we appreciate our federal partners and we partner with them to help them, we are not going to take a primary role on immigration enforcement,” Caldwell said. “Our role will just be to protect the quality of life in the community. We’re not arresting people for immigration violations. We’re not gonna litigate national law, but what I can tell you to do is don’t commit crimes.”
Barela said that Washington law prevents officers from treating anyone differently based on their immigration status, but they will enforce the law if crimes are committed.
Overall, Caldwell said the department’s goal is to help the community feel safe at all times and in all locations.
“We want people to go to the park and feel safe. We want you to use the library and feel safe. We want you to go to Seminary Hill,” he said. “We want to focus on the safety of the community and making sure that you folks feel safe and that your quality of life doesn’t diminish.”
The town hall was one of the most attended that the department has seen since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic, Caldwell said. He told The Chronicle after the event that the turnout shows that the community wants to engage in conversation and be involved in what’s happening.
“I think the community is interested in safety and what the perceptions are about safety in the community. I think that becomes important or incumbent upon us to share that just because we see one thing happen doesn’t mean it’s happening,” Caldwell said. “We want to share that we are a safe community. It is safe to come downtown. Even if you see a couple transients here or there, it doesn’t mean they’re everywhere. We really want to promote the idea that it is a safe community to come enjoy.”
CPD hosts two town halls every year, but details on the second event have not yet been released. For updates, visit the department’s Facebook page.
