Needham Police: Emergency Calls, Mental Health Needs Rise

April 16, 2025
• Needham’s police chief shared highlights from its 2024 report.

The Needham Police Department fielded close to 44,000 service calls in 2022. Two years later, that number shot up to nearly 53,700 — an increase of 22%. A heightened trend of aggression and evolving crime trends may be to blame, according to police leadership.

Car accidents and mental health calls continue to increase year to year, according to the department’s end-of-year report, presented to the Select Board on Tuesday.

Needham Police received 209 total mental health calls — about 17 each month — the majority of which resulted in the involuntary transport to a hospital, according to the data. Last year, there were 184 similar calls, and 164 the year prior.

In response to the closure of Norwood Hospital, more ambulances arrive at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital-Needham, where local officers restrain patients as needed, Police Chief John Schlitter told the board. Norwood contained a mental health unit, which could explain the increased need for use of force, he said.

The department responded to 72 mental health incidents involving youth in both 2024 and 2023, but none resulted in arrest. Officers work alongside an on-scene clinician, which Schlitter said has “been really beneficial all across the board.”

“The department school resource officers continue to work with our clinician in community outreach and collaborate with our school staff to provide assistance and resources to students in crisis,” Schlittler said Tuesday.

NPD also trained an additional eight officers on crisis intervention.

“Now approximately 90% of our current sworn staff have attended 40 hours of training geared toward better response to calls involving persons suffering from mental illness,” the report states. “We will continue to train personnel as the training becomes available.”

Car accidents are climbing to pre-pandemic numbers, with 482 reported last year. Comparatively, 2018 saw 419 accidents, and there were 467 in 2019. The pandemic’s onset in 2020 reduced that number to 286, according to police data.

Of the 60 accidents involving injury, one resulted in death. Eighteen accidents involved pedestrians, either on foot or on bike. Schlitter said those instances are improving.

“I think it’s actually getting a little bit better, knock on wood. It seems that, through enforcement and getting the word out there through social media, that the numbers seem to be down,” Schlittler said. “But that could be just attributed to luck or people paying more attention.”

Most offenses, as well as total arrests, either decreased or remained consistent with last year’s statistics.

With deportations and immigration driving national dialogue, Schlitter said the department strives to keep residents safe, providing resources and ensuring they are treated fairly, should immigration enforcement come to Needham. Undocumented people “shouldn’t fear coming to the police department to report a crime,” he added. The state also cannot enforce federal law.

“We want them to understand that they can come to us and file any type of complaint, or if they’re a victim, to come to us, and we’ll help them out, that we’re not looking to have them sent to immigration,” Schlittler said. “We want to make it clear that they’re comfortable to come to us.”

While arrests are slightly down since last year, at 57, the 2025 numbers are trending higher, as the NPD has already arrested 37 people. Use of force is up, Schlittler said, and the department recently responded to a caller that “threaten[ed] to shoot one of our officers.”

“It just seems that there’s an uptick in people being a little bit more aggressive and hostile, not just with us, but I think generally in society,” he added. “It seems that all areas that we deal with are ticking up.”

Needham Police achieved accreditation in February, which can inspire more confidence and trust in their work, Schlittler said.

Early last year, mail fraud cases rose, but those schemes have since slowed. Schlittler still advised residents to mail checks in the post office as opposed to dropping them in a collection box. Concerning car break-ins — which may be on the rise — residents should avoid leaving key fobs in the car, he said.

Crime patterns may fluctuate, but there is one certainty.

“They’re always evolving,” Deputy Chief Chris Baker said. “The criminals are evolving.”