Council reviews police 2025 budget: accreditation, staffing, equipment and several line-item adjustments

The Township of Washington Council spent the bulk of its March 10 special meeting reviewing the police department’s proposed 2025 budget, discussing staffing, training costs, accreditation, equipment needs and vehicle acquisitions.

Police Chief John (identified in the transcript as "the chief" and "John") walked the council through the department’s line items starting on page 26 of the budget packet. He said mandatory state training—phased-in defensive tactics and other requirements—plus the department’s decision to maintain accreditation justified higher training and consulting costs. “By being an accredited agency, we are required to update those policies…we get our access to these resources, which are invaluable,” the chief said during the discussion. He described Lexipol as the contracted consultant that updates department policies to reflect new legislation, Attorney General directives and case law.

Council members pressed the chief and Administrator Mark DeCarlo on multiple lines that are variable or described in the budget as “moving targets,” including overtime, vacation buybacks, personal-day buybacks and sergeant-differential pay. The chief said some lines reflect worst-case projections to avoid midyear shortfalls; he described using retirements and phased promotions as a mitigation strategy for a high percentage of retirement-eligible sworn officers.

On equipment, the chief asked for funds to replace an ALCO breathalyzer unit and to purchase an in-house model so officers would not need to transport suspects to neighboring towns. The council also discussed car and body-worn camera replacement and a capital request for two patrol vehicles ($90,000 each). The chief emphasized supply-chain delays and a five-year expected life for vehicles as part of the administration’s rationale for treating vehicle purchases as capital expenditures.

Dispatching and software were another topic: council members asked the administration and the police to study whether outsourcing full dispatch to a county or regional provider would be cost-effective compared with maintaining an in-house legacy desk and related licenses. The mayor and council asked staff to research neighboring towns’ practices and to return with an analysis.

Votes at a glance - Reduce sergeant differential (police sergeant pay cushion) from $6,000 to $5,000 — motion passed by roll call. - Reduce office supplies (police) from $4,500 to $4,000 — motion passed by roll call (4–1). - Reduce equipment repairs (office equipment repairs) by $500 — motion passed by roll call (unanimous). - Reduce police miscellaneous (catchall control line) by $250 — motion passed by roll call (3–2). - Increase guns and ammunition by $1,000 (from $21,000 to $22,000) — motion passed by roll call (4–1). - Table placement of vehicle acquisitions (capital vs. current expense) and ask CFO/administrator for guidance — council directed administration and CFO to advise.

Several line-item votes were recorded on the transcript with roll-call tallies; where the transcript reported a roll call the article lists the outcome. The transcript does not always identify the mover and seconder for every motion by full name; in those cases the action is reported as adopted or tabled according to the roll-call or voice vote recorded.

What changed and what was requested - Accreditation and consulting: Chief John urged continued funding for Lexipol and accreditation-related maintenance, describing it as risk mitigation and an attorney-supported resource the department lacks in-house. - Staffing and training: The department requested funding to sustain SLEO (school law enforcement officer) positions at different levels (SLEO 1, 2, 3) and to add entry-level officers to reduce overtime. The chief said mandatory state training accounts for some growth in training costs and emphasized that additional training time often occurs outside regular hours. - Vehicles and cameras: The administration proposed capitalizing vehicle purchases (two vehicles at $90,000 each in the capital plan) to spread cost and meet a five-year life-expectancy threshold; council asked the CFO to confirm whether vehicles should be capitalized per local bond law. The department also requested funding to replace body-worn cameras and car cameras and to add one license-plate reader (ALPR) as a priority. - Dispatching: The council asked the mayor and administration to study outsourcing full dispatch and to report back with options, potential cost savings and service-level implications.

The meeting recorded multiple staff explanations and a series of small expenditure adjustments voted by the council. The chief repeatedly asked the council to preserve contingency (miscellaneous/control) lines or consider emergency appropriations if unexpected needs arise during the year.

The council did not adopt any ordinance or resolution changing department policy at the meeting; it approved several budget line adjustments and asked administration to report back on the larger questions (vehicles capitalization and dispatch outsourcing).