Brockton leaders review police budget, equipment and phased move into new Public Safety Building

Police Chief Brenda Perez told the Brockton Finance Committee on June 17 that the Brockton Police Department answered approximately 98,000 calls for service in 2024 and is preparing a phased move into a new Public Safety Building this year.

The presentation outlined staffing, recruitment and equipment. “Currently, the Brockton Police Department has 184 sworn personnel with 6 of them, 6 recruits in the academy as we speak. We expect them to graduate in September,” Perez said. She added that since 2020 the department has hired 52 officers and anticipates hiring another 15 by January 2026. The department also highlighted youth and community programs, including cadet and junior cadet programs and a recently relaunched Citizens Police Academy attended by 20 residents.

City CFO Troy Clarkson told councilors that the budget for the Public Safety Building includes nearly $6,000,000 for furniture, fixtures and equipment. “All of those costs are included in and part of the overall construction budget as is the moving costs,” Clarkson said, adding that FY26 will likely be a hybrid year with operations in both the existing station at 7 Commercial Street and the new building. He said police operations will be phased, in part because moving evidence and specialized equipment requires extra oversight.

Committee members pressed for details on communications and safety equipment. Councilor Farwell asked whether aging portable radios and other communications equipment were being replaced; Perez said the department has been migrating to a digital radio infrastructure and replacing cruisers and user equipment. The chief also confirmed the department owns drones and has used them for events and operations, and noted they participate in Project Lifesaver for missing persons with cognitive impairment.

Perez said the department completed a drug destruction project in May 2025 that disposed of “approximately 15,000 pieces of drug evidence.” She described ongoing traffic enforcement shifts, pedestrian and bike safety campaigns, and weekend “impact” shifts designed to respond to quality-of-life complaints. Several councilors said residents have complained about slow responses to some calls and asked for more weekend patrols. Perez and Clarkson said additional weekend and impact shifts are staffed but acknowledged limits in personnel and that response times vary by call volume.

Councilors also asked about operating costs for the new building. Clarkson said the city estimates electricity and gas costs in the Public Safety Building budget but will have a clearer picture after a year of occupancy. Custodial and contract maintenance for the larger building were flagged as likely to cost more; Clarkson estimated on-call building maintenance and custodial services in the initial operating budget. He said the city will attempt some cost containment by assigning certain exterior maintenance to city crews but will likely contract cleaning for the larger square footage while buildings remain under warranty.

No formal vote or binding directive was taken during the discussion; committee members acknowledged the move will require further monitoring once departments occupy the new facility.