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Rochester police report improving dispatch staffing, ongoing recruiting and CIP requests for cruisers and weapons
Summary
The department reported progress in dispatch training and recruitment, outlined four current officer vacancies, and requested funding in the CIP for cruiser replacement and service weapon replacement.
Department leaders told the Rochester Police Commission on Jan. 22 that dispatch staffing and training have improved, recruitment remains active and the department submitted two capital improvement project requests for Fiscal Year 2026.
Support Services and administrative staff reported that one dispatch trainee was recently released to solo dispatching, another trainee remains in training, and the department currently lists one open dispatch position. On sworn staffing, the department said it will have four open police officer positions after the swearing-in held during the meeting; the chief and staff said multiple candidates are in background checks.
The department said the explorer program has about 18 to 20 participants attending Tuesday-night trainings and described recent youth engagement through the diversion teen drug-court program, including a “teen night” with roughly 20 students and participation in a Winterfest event estimated at about 300 attendees.
On budgets, the department told the CIP committee it is requesting three frontline cruiser replacements and one backline vehicle for parking enforcement. The department also requested funding to replace service handguns that have been in use since approximately February 2008 and noted it will evaluate manufacturers; the chief said he would perform due diligence and consider local manufacturers while seeking best value.
On training, the department reported that new state requirements set academy hours at 24 per officer and that several officers recently attended narcotics, interview/interrogation, and drug-identification courses. The department said four officers are in field training and one recently completed field training and is on solo patrol.
The chief told commissioners the department has not lowered hiring standards and that recent hires have been high-quality candidates; staffing and training updates were described as encouraging.
The department also acknowledged internal instructors who assisted at the state police academy and read a resident’s letter praising an officer who handled a traffic stop professionally with a new driver.
