Hooksett's police chief told town budget reviewers the department's proposed budget would increase by 1.45% — about $87,673 — mostly to cover contractual inflation and vehicle-replacement costs, while department leaders stressed retention and training as top priorities.

"Overall, the budget increased 1.45% from the previous year's default budget. It's an increase in $87,673," the chief said. "Almost all of it was due to contractual and inflation caused risk. I've added almost nothing new to this. We've made some cuts. We've moved some things around. It's pretty lean."

Why this matters: the department said it is down several officers while demand and vehicle costs rise. The chief said Hooksett's authorized force target is 30 officers; the department currently reported 28 on the roster, with two recent hires (one in the academy, one in field training) and additional officers out on FMLA or light duty, reducing the available active patrol count.

Fleet and capital needs were a central topic. The chief said vehicle acquisition and upfit costs have risen: a vehicle and upfit now approach $75,000, and purchasing police-grade hybrid vehicles has pushed base purchase prices for patrol vehicles from about $35,000 five years ago to as much as $50,000. The proposed budget includes $150,000 to buy two vehicles this year, the chief said.

The department has converted much of its fleet to hybrids to save fuel, the chief said, but warned that hybrids can be more costly to repair out of warranty and have longer downtime because repairs often require manufacturer support. "The hybrid vehicles are a little bit different. They're basically computers, and we don't have that capability," the chief said. Budget documents show the vehicle maintenance line was reduced modestly in the current proposal to reflect warranty coverage for newer units.

Staffing pressures were raised repeatedly. The chief said retention is critical: recruiting is difficult, physical-ability and written tests are a barrier for many applicants, and the department must invest in training and field training for new hires. "Retaining the employees we have now is super important," the chief said.

Operational software and equipment also came up. The chief described the CAD/RMS record-management system as "the brains of our operation," and said migrating to a different provider in the past cost "hundreds of thousands of dollars." The department budget includes line items for state inspections and potential legislative changes; the chief said the state inspection requirement had an appeal window and that the budget retained a contingency until the matter is resolved.

The department reported the canine program is funded mainly through a police canine trust; the town covers overtime costs for the handler while supplies and housing come from the trust, according to the chief.

Health-insurance and benefits costs are another pressure: finance staff reported health and dental increased roughly 11.7% last year and cautioned that similar or higher increases are likely this year. The chief and town staff said rising benefit costs are driving budget uncertainty.

No final vote on the police budget was taken at this session. Committee members requested supporting details, including a current fleet listing with vehicle ages and mileages and the warranty/maintenance figures for hybrid vehicles; the chief and finance staff said they would supply additional maintenance data at a later meeting.