Nampa police outline staffing shortfalls, dispatch strain and technology needs at council workshop

At a Wednesday morning Nampa City Council workshop, Police Department leaders briefed the council and public on FY26 staffing needs, crime trends and technology purchases, saying the department faces persistent gaps in patrol and dispatch staffing and growing operational costs.

Police Chief Eric (presenting) said the department currently has about 223 employees across sworn and civilian roles, with patrol typically staffed around 70 officers at a time because of training and academy cycles. He told the council the department has increased use of technology — CompStat, a real‑time crime center and digital forensics — to target crime, but that staffing and budget constraints limit how quickly the department can expand or sustain those tools.

Chief Eric said the policing allocation model (PAM) used for planning recommends adding 12 officers now and roughly 15 more by 2029 to meet projected demand. He urged the council to prioritize both patrol positions and additional dispatch supervision and staff; the department’s initial estimate, given current city funding projections, would allow about five new positions in FY26 and two of those should be dispatch supervisors.

Why it matters: Council members said public safety is the highest spending priority reported in the city survey, and the police presentation linked staffing decisions to response times, overtime costs and the ability to sustain specialized units such as gang investigators and school resource officers.

Key facts and figures - Department workforce: about 223 total employees (Chief Eric’s presentation). - Patrol:…