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Police staffing shortages, overtime and camera program discussed; SRO coverage strained by vacancies
Summary
Police officials reported vacancies and an overtime burden as recruitment continues; staff also updated council on public‑safety camera installations and the limited capacity for the school resource officer to be present at schools while covering overtime assignments.
Police staffing levels, overtime costs and public‑safety camera deployment were discussed at the meeting.
The police chief reported multiple vacancies and a multi‑stage recruitment pipeline that includes background checks, academy dates and field training; two officers were scheduled for upcoming academy classes and the department anticipated additional hires months after background clearance. The chief said vacancies have driven overtime and that recruitment of lateral candidates is difficult given higher pay in neighboring jurisdictions. (Police chief)
Councilors asked about the school resource officer (SRO) and whether that position could continue to provide school coverage while the department copes with vacancies and overtime demands. Staff said the SRO (Ricky) has been covering shifts and overtime and that time in the school may be limited while operational needs require coverage elsewhere. (Police chief; Officer Ricky)
On cameras, staff reported existing cameras capture north/south lanes at key intersections but that front‑plate visibility can limit reads on southbound traffic without a front license plate. The department said it is installing an additional camera at Citrus Fair and that the program has helped solve incidents in some cases. Council asked staff to continue deployment and to coordinate permits for installation. No new staffing allocations or policy changes were adopted at the meeting.
