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Police chief says department has 81 sworn officers against 96 budgeted positions; hiring pipeline constrained by certification lists
Summary
Police Chief Wilson told the meeting the 2025 budget recognizes 96 sworn positions but the department has 81 officers currently; the department exhausted the current certified list and is awaiting a new certified list and is using transfers as a supplemental recruitment source.
Chief Wilson, identified in the meeting as the police chief, summarized the department's staffing: the 2025 budget recognizes 96 sworn positions, and the department currently has 81 sworn officers. He said the department has exhausted the existing civil-service certified list (which must run for a minimum period) and has hired three officers off that list.
Wilson said results from a new certification list have returned but are not yet published as a certified list; once the county exhaustion process concludes the city expects to draw from the new list and begin candidate vetting. He also described use of lateral transfers, noting the department previously hired five officers from the NYPD and that such transfers provided a recruiting boost earlier but that applications from NYPD members have since declined.
"The 2025 budget recognizes 96 budgeted positions. We're currently at 81," Wilson said. He added that the department exhausts lists as required and that the next academy class target would depend on certification and vetting timelines.
The remarks were delivered in response to a public question during the informational meeting; no policy change or formal hiring decision was taken during the session.
