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Albany leaders weigh drones, pay and civilian operators as police recruitment lags
Summary
At a June 3 work session the Albany City Commission and police leaders discussed proposed budget changes that add $200,000 for a police drone program, staffing strategies that use civilian operators and recent crime and technology data while residents pressed for higher officer pay and faster hiring.
Mayor Bo Dura and the Albany Police Department presented a revised fiscal-year budget proposal and a public-safety update at the City of Albany Commission work session on June 3, 2025, alongside public comment pressing the commission to increase police pay and staffing.
The revised budget presented before the commission includes a $200,000 increase to fund a police drone initiative, and a separate $372,000 addition for an extended-day recreation program offset by projected program revenues. Finance staff said those are the chief modifications since the initial budget proposal. "We increased by 200,000 for the drone initiative in the police department," the finance presentation said.
The budget and public comment came ahead of a detailed Albany Police Department presentation that summarized crime statistics from January through April and described expanded technology: Raven gunshot-detection activations, Flock license-plate readers and an "evidence vault" for…
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