Cheyenne police outline budget increases and call for overtime to target traffic and noise issues

Cheyenne Police Chief Mark Francisco told the City Council at a work session that the department is pursuing budget adjustments to reflect inflationary costs, new equipment and targeted overtime for traffic enforcement, while reporting recent drops in several crime categories.

The presentation is notable because council members pressed for immediate options — including overtime and possible fine adjustments — to address weekend speeding, excessive noise and group traffic violations they say are affecting neighborhoods and downtown businesses.

Chief Francisco described staffing and recent crime trends and then reviewed specific budget items. He said the department has several vacancies among sworn officers and civilian staff and that current staffing “equates to about 1.76 officers per thousand residents,” below state and national averages. He told the council the department saw a nearly 16% overall decrease in crime in the last year and cited specific reductions: a 20% drop in crimes against property, a 24% reduction in speed‑ and red‑light‑related crashes and a 27% reduction in hit‑and‑run crashes. He also said the department saw a 38% decrease in known and suspected fentanyl seizures.

On budget lines, Francisco pointed to a $149,233 increase in police administration (largely inflationary), a $251,054 projected increase in the patrol division (driven by special‑event overtime, pension costs and a new specialty pay category for certified drone operators), and a $45,000 increase toward combined communications costs. He told the council the equipment category includes funding to add 10 Axon in‑car cameras to complete a transition to a single manufacturer for body and vehicle cameras.

Council members pressed for enforcement options on traffic and noise. Chairman Layborn and other council members said weekend speeding and modified vehicles are disrupting neighborhoods; Layborn asked whether one‑time reserves could be used for targeted overtime. Chief Francisco replied, “I truly believe some overtime money is appropriate,” and described a plan to use overtime details in evening hours and pursue dedicated traffic officers if staffing levels increase. He also described past weekend enforcement trials and said overtime details (often four‑hour shifts) had been used successfully.

The council also asked about a possible new noise ordinance; Chief Francisco said legal hurdles remain, citing difficulty in defining and proving “excessive noise” without a meter reading and that the city attorney’s office was consulting peer cities. On drones, Francisco said the department has certified drone operators (seven certified at the time of the meeting) and uses multiple drone models for different tasks; he described typical missions such as searching for people who fled from vehicles and said replacement costs for smaller drones can run in the “$5,000 to $7,000” range.

Members discussed revenue and fines. When asked about parking fines, Francisco deferred to the treasurer on revenue projections; City Treasurer Robin Lockman said projected court fine revenue has declined in recent years and the proposed budget reflects lower expected receipts. The judge later explained that bond and forfeiture schedules set preset bond amounts on citations and that many defendants post bond amounts rather than appear in court.

No formal council vote was taken on operational changes during the work session. Several council members expressed support for pursuing overtime funding and additional traffic enforcement while staff and the mayor continue to refine the budget and operational plans.