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Police report: April activity, body-camera storage invoice raises budget line question; new cruiser arriving end of month
Summary
Deputy Chief Ed Dumas reported April calls and traffic stops and told the board a combined storage invoice for in-cruiser and body cameras will show an equipment-line overage of $8,619 though the department expects to remain within its overall budget. A new cruiser and associated equipment are expected by the end of the month.
Deputy Chief Ed Dumas presented April activity statistics to the select board on May 6, reporting 59 calls and 39 traffic stops and noting concentrated activity at the south-end plaza. Dumas said that, while the body-camera and in-cruiser-camera contracts were already approved, a combined storage invoice will show an $8,619 overage in the equipment line even though the department expects to remain within its overall budget for the year.
“The combined storage invoice was received this year for body camera and cruiser video,” Dumas said; “the total budget for this year should not be overspent,” he added, and staff said they expect to remain within total appropriation despite the line-item overrun.
Dumas also reported the new cruiser and equipment have shipped; fleet staff plan to ready the vehicle for delivery, and the department expects work on the car to begin this month with a likely delivery by the end of May. The board discussed budget oversight and asked that the department and finance staff coordinate if a formal transfer or appropriation is needed to cover the specific equipment line overage.
Why it matters: Body-worn and cruiser video systems and associated storage are recurring and contract-driven expenses for police departments. Line-item overruns can be absorbed within a department’s total appropriation or may require a formal budget adjustment depending on year-end positions.
What’s next: Police and finance staff will monitor the contractual storage invoices; the select board requested department staff notify the finance committee if a formal adjustment or transfer is needed to cover the equipment-line overage.
