Temple police outline equipment, staffing and community-response requests including drones and co-responder funding

Temple — Temple Police leaders used the budget retreat on March 27 to ask the City Council to fund a bundle of technology, staffing and operating items aimed at speeding investigations and expanding non‑arrest responses to mental‑health calls.

The department asked for recurring funding for crime‑scene investigator accreditation, software to speed traffic analyses, upgrades to evidence‑handling equipment and an expansion of the department’s drone program. Police also asked the city to continue funding a co‑responder mental‑health position currently supported with federal ARPA money, and to accelerate staff and vehicle requests for the animal shelter.

The requests were presented as a set of operational priorities tied to the police mission statement and the city’s strategic plan. Among the specific items: an annual line item of $15,000 to support accreditation and professional development for crime‑scene investigators; a software lease to analyze telemetric traffic data so staff can identify problem locations faster than using trailer‑mounted hardware; and a plan to accelerate purchases of drones, drone docks and associated training so unmanned aircraft can reach certain 911 calls faster than patrol cars.

Police staff explained that the department is testing a drone‑as‑first‑responder model used elsewhere, and that drones already arrive first on many calls during trials. The presentation noted the public‑safety benefits — faster situational awareness for responding officers — and asked for budget authority to expand the vendor platform and hardware footprint in fiscal 2026–2027.

The department also asked the council to preserve funding for a co‑responder embedded with officers: a licensed mental‑health provider who accompanies officers once a scene is safe and opens options that law enforcement alone cannot (health‑system placements and other behavioral‑health pathways). That position has been supported with ARPA funds and the department asked the council to include permanent local funding once ARPA support expires (ARPA funding cited as running through 08/31/2025).

Animal‑services requests included accelerating two shelter technician positions, a vehicle for the shelter, microchipping and vaccination funding, and earlier hiring of an animal‑control officer originally planned for later years. Presenters said the shelter frequently runs full and that staffing shortages limit time available to place animals with rescues and to keep up facility maintenance.

Police also described equipment needs that would shorten investigative timelines, such as in‑house tools for trace evidence and vehicle data extraction—items the presentation said now require lengthy turnarounds to off‑site labs. The department proposed a mix of full purchases and smaller recurring line items for consumables (for example, buying specific vehicle‑interface cables annually rather than the full kit up front).

Council members asked about operating costs and deployment plans; staff said many items are staged across fiscal years and some can be piloted with grant or one‑time funding. No formal votes were taken at the retreat; the session was a budget briefing and direction‑setting opportunity.

Ending: Council will consider these department requests as it finalizes the FY26 budget. Staff said they will return with refined cost estimates and additional details for council review before any final appropriation decisions are made.