Middleborough presents FY26 police, fire budgets highlighting civilian dispatch, SAFER hires and new warning systems

Chief Ferreira, the police chief, and Chief Owen Thompson, the fire chief, presented the Town of Middleborough's proposed fiscal year 2026 budgets for the police and fire departments at a joint Select Board and Finance Committee meeting on Feb. 10, 2025.

The police budget is built on maintaining current full staffing levels and continuing programs such as school resource officers, the detective division and a body-camera program, Chief Ferreira said. "Our budget is based on us maintaining full staffing levels as we exist now, which covers three school resource officers," Ferreira said, adding the department would staff parades and town events and continue training required by the Municipal Police Training Council.

Why it matters: The spending proposals affect public-safety staffing, town operating costs and the timing of capital purchases for vehicles and technology. Finance committee members probed pay, step increases and how a shift away from volunteer "special" police affects overtime and other line items.

Key points from the police presentation - Staffing and operations: Ferreira said the department will remain fully staffed and continue its mental-health and substance-abuse follow-up work in cooperation with county outreach partners. The department maintains accreditation through the Massachusetts Police Accreditation Commission and follows training minimums set by the Municipal Police Training Council. - Dispatching changes: Police dispatch will be staffed by civilian call-takers in a new arrangement that places four civilian…