Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Shelton Police outline 2025 priorities: recruitment, new equipment and expanded online reporting
Summary
The police department told council the 2025 plan prioritizes recruitment and retention, officer wellness, accreditation maintenance and new equipment, and will add online reporting and social-media outreach to improve public communication.
The Shelton Police Department presented a work plan that prioritizes recruitment and retention, officer wellness, accreditation maintenance and equipment replacement.
A department speaker identified as Kate described staffing improvements over the past year and said the department is close to full staffing for the first time in three years. “We’re actually doing very well last year. We didn't lose the same officers in other agency or retirement,” Kate said, adding the department expects to hire another officer next month.
Equipment and training
The department said it is acquiring new firearms and less-lethal options and will retrain staff on the new equipment. The presenter noted some rifles dated to the mid-2000s and were difficult to maintain, and that a standardized rifle fleet will reduce liability and maintenance issues.
Community engagement and technology
The department plans to implement an online reporting portal for certain non-emergency reports so residents can file reports and receive case numbers without an in-person visit. Kate described the rollout and case-assignment procedures: an online report would be assigned to a sergeant for review and routed to detectives or follow-up as needed. The department also plans to launch social-media accounts to post road closures, reunification locations and positive community policing content.
Accreditation and wellness
Staff said 2025 is a significant accreditation-maintenance year; the department is meeting hundreds of standards that require documentation and recent proof of compliance. Kate said the department is expanding an officer-wellness program and pursuing leadership and supervisory training.
What council asked: Council members supported community-oriented steps including citizen academies, bike/foot patrols downtown and social-media outreach to humanize officers.
Next steps: The department will continue training on new equipment, roll out online reporting and return with details on accreditation milestones and wellness initiatives.
