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Santa Fe police seek vehicle, radio and body-armor funding in preliminary budget
Summary
Council reviewed police department capital and one-time requests including patrol vehicle funding on the CIP, five replacement vests for reserve officers, handheld radios, computer upgrades and contract-related increases in software and services.
City staff and police leaders briefed the City Council on May 20 about police capital needs and one-time equipment requests included in the FY2025–26 preliminary budget.
Rudy, the city budget presenter, walked council members through the police department’s capital line items, including a CIP allocation for patrol vehicles and a request listed at roughly $228,000 for vehicles. He also noted a Motorola consortium contract that increased contract services costs.
The police chief detailed personnel and equipment needs. The chief confirmed the department “currently have[s] 5” reserve officers and explained the department is requesting replacement body armor for those reserves because manufacturer guidance recommends replacing vests after about five years. The chief said the replacement cost for the five reserve vests is $12,000. Councilors asked whether vests remain city property; the chief confirmed they do.
Other line items reviewed included five handheld radios for officers listed in the capital plan, one-time computer upgrades (solid-state drives and RAM) estimated at about $3,500 instead of purchasing nine new computers, and smaller items such as drone batteries and scene lights. Rudy and the chief also flagged a small increase in personnel training and software maintenance and said furniture replacements and office equipment appeared as one-time items in the request.
Councilors asked about operational implications if equipment went out of service. The chief said body armor that is struck is taken out of service and replaced, noting manufacturers often assist with replacements under such circumstances.
No formal action was taken; the items remain in department requests to be refined as staff finalize the preliminary budget.
