Police chief outlines $13.3 million 2026 budget, highlights drone-first-responder program and mental-health co-response

Police Chief Goldstein presented the Fond du Lac Police Department's proposed 2026 operating plan on July 23, describing a roughly $13.3 million budget and initiatives the department says will strengthen safety, response and community partnerships.

Why it matters: The presentation lays out the department's priorities that could affect policing strategy and budget allocations next year: technology investments such as a Drone as First Responder program; continued funding for a mental-health specialist and a community response social worker; outreach to people experiencing homelessness through a Drexel Outreach Response Program; and a focus on violence prevention and targeted drug enforcement.

Budget and staffing: Goldstein said about 87% of the $13.3 million proposal is for personnel. He reported the department's staffing shortfall had fallen from 25 vacancies to near full strength after recent hiring and that the department's headcount is roughly 115 sworn and professional staff. The chief introduced a new officer, Luis Hernandez, at the meeting.

New and continuing programs: The chief described plans to deploy a Drone as First Responder (DFR) capability to provide fast situational awareness to officers; he said the drones would allow faster, safer decisions at incident scenes. The department also highlighted the Domestic Violence Intervention Specialist role and data for Jan.'June 2025: 305 domestic-violence-related incidents and 152 arrests, with the most common charges listed as disorderly conduct (146) and battery (65). Relationship types tied to arrests included dating partners (75), married couples (29), family members (19), roommates (16) and co-parents not romantically involved (13).

Crisis response and homelessness outreach: Goldstein described the department's core response team and a mental-health and wellness specialist embedded in the department. He said core responses increased from 334 in year 1 to 402 in year 3, with outreach responses up about 45% over that period and the team spending more than 780 hours on assessments. The chief said the Drexel Outreach Response Program, launched in March 2025 in partnership with the St. Catherine Drexel shelter, is averaging about 20 calls per month and is intended to provide a non-law-enforcement outreach option for people experiencing homelessness.

Crime and enforcement trends: The chief presented reductions in shots-fired incidents after a spike in 2022 (5 in 2021; 14 in 2022; 7 in 2023; 4 in 2024; 2 in 2025) and said the department is focusing drug enforcement on dealers and supply chains in partnership with Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group (LM). Speeding remains the top resident complaint; the department said it uses data-driven deployments and both overt and covert speed trailers to target high-risk locations.

Community and training investments: Goldstein emphasized training, peer-support, officer wellness and visible community engagement activities as long-term strategies to improve outcomes and recruitment. He noted reportable use-of-force incidents decreased 16% and reportable vehicle pursuits decreased 12% year over year in recent data the department provided.

Next steps: The chief opened the floor to council questions on enforcement strategy, homelessness outreach and peer support; council members praised the department's work and asked for follow-up as programs develop. The presentation was informational; no council vote was taken.