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Chelsea Police budget includes new sergeant, schedule change to increase overlap coverage
Summary
The Chelsea Police Department’s FY26 budget adds one sergeant to support a new overlapping 10‑hour shift schedule intended to reduce overtime and improve supervision; councilors questioned staffing levels, bilingual stipend discussions and recruitment.
The Chelsea Police Department presented a FY26 budget proposal that adds one sergeant to support a newly bargained shift schedule and seeks funding for contractual salary increases.
Deputy City Manager Michael Mason and Chief Keith Houghton told the City Council the overall police budget is proposed to increase roughly 11% year‑over‑year, driven largely by personnel costs tied to a new bargaining agreement. Mason said the budget adds a sergeant and brings the department to about 24 full‑time equivalents in patrol and related units.
Chief Houghton explained the scheduling change to the council: “For traditionally, for years since I've been on the job, we had a 4 days on, 2 day off schedule ... 4 days on, 10 hour shifts, 4 days off. With that configuration ... we double, deployment of officers,” he said, adding that overlap provides double coverage during peak hours and that the new sergeant is needed to staff the added squad and reduce overtime.
Councilors pressed the chief on staffing levels and response capacity. Houghton said the department’s minimum weekend manning is “usually 8 officers on the street” with weekend highs up to 10; staffing fluctuates by shift and historic vacancies and retirements have required recruiting and lateral hires. He noted four new officers were scheduled to begin academy training June 2 and that the department has added detectives and new command personnel after recent retirements.
On language and equity, Councilor Vega asked whether officers receive a stipend for bilingual service similar to dispatchers; Houghton said a language stipend was discussed in bargaining but implementation for officers had been a roadblock and was not included in the current contract. He said dispatch receives language pay and that the department explored testing and administrative structures needed to fairly implement a broader stipend.
Councilor Brown disclosed a potential conflict and said he would recuse himself from any vote if required because a relative works for the Chelsea Police Department.
No formal vote took place during the presentation; the council will act on the full FY26 budget in the council’s scheduled deliberations.
