Police chief presents 2026 operating budget; department adds subscriptions, equipment and critical‑incident coverage

The police department presented its proposed 2026 operating budget to the commission, describing an overall 3.5% increase driven primarily by personnel costs and new or expanded subscriptions and equipment needs.

Administrative staff listed the budget team as Assistant Chief Esser, administrative staff supervisor Gloria Brookstrom, Lieutenant Parks and office coordinator Cindy Goetz. The department described the largest line changes as personnel‑related increases (union and nonunion salary adjustments) and higher subscription and professional service costs. The presentation cited a 55.6% increase in professional services largely attributable to an on‑site counseling program that was previously covered by a grant; the department added about $12,000 for continued counseling services.

Department speakers described technology and equipment items the budget would fund: Axon body cameras and redaction software and licensing (the presenter said this accounts for about a $10,000 increase); a refresh of the agency’s airsoft conversion kits to support realistic active‑shooter and tactical training; vehicle lockout kits to reduce reliance on off‑hour locksmiths; rifle plates to be carried in first‑response cars and separate rifle plates for SRT/sniper team members; and a one‑time purchase of SRT wired headsets designed to combine hearing protection with secure tactical communications. Investigative equipment requests included Milwaukee power tools and a DSLR camera for scene documentation.

Commissioners questioned recurring costs and transparency around some items. The flock‑camera (subscription) system prompted discussion about use cases, privacy and whether the department plans public transparency; the chief said the system is not designed for continuous monitoring by staff, but rather to accept queries (for example, license‑plate or silver‑alert flags) and return matches. Commissioners asked about public communication if the city deploys such cameras and whether the system would expand in the future.

Commissioners also asked about overtime budgeting (the department retained a $150,000 overtime estimate for 2026), and whether that amount will cover likely overtime pressures; department leadership said the figure is an estimate and will be monitored and adjusted in future budgets if needed. The department described a flat‑fee allotment for on‑site counseling covering mandatory one‑time check‑ins for employees and said the WPPA critical‑incident benefit is a subscription the department proposes to retain as small‑cost insurance that provides immediate representation for non‑represented officers in serious incidents.

At the meeting the commission voted to approve the proposed police budget; the presenter said a roll‑call vote was recorded. (The budget will move through the city’s broader review and adoption process after commission approval.)