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Police chief seeks two officers, more patrol capacity as calls and traffic rise; equipment and vehicle costs flagged
Summary
The police chief asked the council for two additional commissioned officers to move toward a four‑officer minimum per shift, citing growing call volumes and traffic; the department also budgeted funding for Opticom units, a drone replacement contingency, and rising patrol vehicle costs.
The Wasilla Police Department asked the council for two additional commissioned officers in FY26 to increase on‑shift staffing and reduce overtime. Chief (unnamed) explained the department is operating on a three‑officer minimum on many shifts and said the city has seen sustained call‑volume pressure and traffic increases tied to growth and new hotel/motorist activity.
“I am currently 3,” the chief said, explaining current staffing and imminent retirements that will reduce the force in coming weeks. He and council members discussed running a four‑person minimum to improve response and to reduce reliance on supervisors and overtime for patrol coverage.
The chief also described equipment requests: an Opticom intersection‑priority system was estimated at roughly $3,000 per vehicle installed, and he requested funding to outfit 25 patrol cars (an estimated $75,000) to support emergency preemption. He told council that outfitting a full patrol vehicle with lights, radios and installation had been averaging between roughly $80,000 and $94,000 all‑in, with tariffs and freight increasing uncertainty.
On drones, the chief said the department’s current DJI unit is a capable (and relatively low‑cost) platform but noted federal restrictions and procurement risks for Chinese‑manufactured drones. He said the department is exploring a memorandum of understanding with the Alaska Department of Transportation to access state‑owned drones and pilots; he also budgeted a replacement contingency (roughly $30,000) in case the DJI platform must be changed.
Councilors expressed concern about rising vehicle and outfitting costs and asked staff to reassess the vehicle‑replacement fund assumptions in light of higher pricing, installation tariffs and freight. The chief said patrol cars can range from low‑to‑mid $80,000s to the mid‑$90,000s fully equipped and urged the council to anticipate those costs during final appropriation decisions.
No formal vote to add officers was taken; the chief and council agreed staffing needs and costs should be revisited as the budget process continues.
