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Police chief warns level funding will strain staffing as crime and enforcement needs shift
Summary
Lynn Police Chief presented the FY26 police budget to the City Council budget committee, citing a 13% drop in major crimes in 2024, ongoing recruitment and retention challenges, uncertainty about behavioral health funding, and planned equipment and program additions that the department says will be difficult to absorb under level funding.
Chief Reddy, Lynn Police Department, outlined the department’s FY26 budget and said level funding will make it difficult to cover rising training, hiring and compliance costs.
“Thanks to their efforts, I am pleased to report that we experienced a 13% reduction in major crimes in 2024,” Chief Reddy said, while also noting the department remains “staffing level of 169 active personnel with 13 additional recruits enrolled in the academy.”
Reddy told the council recruitment and retention are the department’s top budget risks and said the department has used newly available alternative hiring pathways through civil service changes to speed hiring. He described a recently…
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