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City cameras helped track counterfeit‑currency suspect; council hears need for more dispatch staff
Summary
Council heard that citywide cameras aided a police investigation and that dispatch is staffing‑constrained; police and staff described camera benefits and dispatch call volumes.
Police and staff told the Navasota City Council on May 13 that the citywide camera network has delivered investigatory benefits and that the dispatch center is operating near capacity.
Staff and the police chief described a recent counterfeit‑currency investigation in which downtown camera footage helped track a suspect from a store to a vehicle and obtain a license‑plate image. "We were able... to track back and see the... suspect going into the store... and now they have a suspect on that issue," a speaker identified in the meeting as the police chief said while describing the investigative use of camera footage.
Council members pressed for more details about dispatch staffing. The police dispatch unit currently has six authorized dispatcher positions on a 12‑hour shift schedule, the chief said, with one position in training; staffing is constrained by vacations, sick leave and the need to cover busy events. The chief provided activity numbers from recent reporting: about 7,709 911 calls per year, roughly 23,000 calls for service, about 4,500 traffic stops and roughly 250 arrests in the most recent reporting period.
Councilmembers said callers sometimes hear "please hold" when they call nonemergency lines while dispatchers are handling higher‑priority radio traffic. The chief and staff said new consoles have been installed and training is in progress; they recommended that staffing be considered in the FY2026 personnel plan to reduce periods when callers hear hold messages.
Why it matters: surveillance cameras are contributing to investigations, and dispatch staffing levels affect emergency‑call handling and response capacity. Council asked staff to include potential additional dispatcher staffing in the staffing plan and to present cost and scheduling options.
Staff said they will include dispatch staffing needs and associated costs in the personnel/staffing plan to be returned to council in coming budget workshops.
