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Police budget emphasizes recruitment, training and technology in 2025 plan
Summary
Police leaders told trustees the 2025 police budget focuses on recruitment and retention, additional training, and technology investments including drones, tablets and analytics software; the department is budgeted for a slight staffing increase but remains under the budgeted sworn complement.
Police leadership briefed West Chester Township trustees on Jan. 21 about staffing, training and technology investments proposed for the police fund in the township’s 2025 operational budget.
Chief (or department presenter) Burks (Police Department) said the department’s current authorized strength includes 92 sworn positions but that the force has fluctuated between 84 and 86 sworn officers since 2020. “Our current workforce is at, 85 sworn police officers,” Burks said, and he noted the department had 4 candidates in the recruiting process and several employees participating in retire–rehire programs.
Burks and Ken (Finance staff member) said the newly voter-approved police levy and related revenues underlie projected police revenue of about $19.8 million; police plan expenditures were listed at roughly $20.8 million for 2025, a 6.4% increase from 2024. Burks described priorities as recruitment and retention, training and technology, calling those items “force multipliers.”
Specific 2025 budget increases the police presenter listed included:
- Training and conference budgets increased from $100,000 to $125,000; specialized training (SWAT, traffic reconstruction, cyber, executive leadership schools) was cited as a cost driver. - Professional fees and subscriptions rose from $36,000 to $52,000; travel was increased to $15,000. - Operating supplies (protective gear, munitions, bike patrol equipment) increased from $125,000 to $140,000; SWAT ballistic rifle replacement listed at $38,000. - A joint drone program with the fire department (previously approved) carries a 2025 allocation of roughly $32,000 shared between police and fire. - Hardware and software investments under consideration included Surface Pro tablets (seven units, about $16,500) and analytics/license-plate mapping services such as Brigade (crime-intel software) and Flock OS (license-plate/CAD mapping; quoted at $20,000).
Burks also described several joint ventures and mutual-aid partnerships (FBI, DEA, Secret Service) that he said reduced costs for digital-forensics hardware and training. He and trustees discussed whether increased training will be ongoing or tapered as newer officers gain experience; Burks said training will continue but will be “streamlined to specific training and specific individuals.”
Trustees asked about levy health and long-term staffing; Burks and Ken said the police fund appeared healthy, and Ken projected that current revenues could extend levy life beyond the initial five-year estimate when combined with one-time funds and ARPA allocations.
No formal vote on police staffing or purchases occurred during the work session; budget items above $7,500 will return to trustees for individual approvals during the year.
