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Police chief presses for higher starting pay, persistent staffing gaps and new tech including drones and armored response vehicle
Summary
Sedalia Police leaders told the council the department is short-staffed and recommended raising starting pay to $55,000 and investing in drones, a special response vehicle and other gear to improve response and retention.
Sedalia's police leadership described ongoing recruitment and retention challenges and proposed pay and equipment changes intended to stabilize staffing and improve response capability.
Police staffing and pay: The police chief said the city budget currently lists 47 sworn positions but the department had roughly 42 commissioned officers on patrol with several officers in training or on leave. "I would like to increase the starting salary ... to $55,000 for new officers," the chief said, asking council to consider both higher entry pay and adjustments across the pay scale to retain experienced officers.
Why it matters: Chief officials said regional competition for officers is intense, with larger agencies advertising substantially higher starting salaries and lateral pay. The staffing shortfall drives overtime, reduces training capacity and complicates daily patrol scheduling.
Drones and Live 9-1-1 integration: Police presented a package from a vendor that pairs two drones with a Live 9-1-1 feed for dispatch and software to manage flights and evidence. The presenter said the vendor's offer includes training, unlimited maintenance and FAA waivers to allow beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations under that vendor program. Staff estimated first-year costs for hardware, software and installation at roughly $115,000 with recurring annual expense around $70,000.
Special response vehicle: The department also asked for a purpose-built special response vehicle to transport a tactical team and provide armored cover at higher-risk incidents. Presenters said that most comparable regional teams operate with a similar vehicle and that it improves on-scene options for de-escalation and officer safety.
Evidence storage and training facility: Police recommended planning for a two-story storage and training building to house evidence, bicycles and force-on-force training space; the current off-site facility is aging and undersized.
Ending: Councilmembers asked staff to refine cost estimates and consider budget trade-offs. The proposals will be folded into FY2026 budget deliberations for further review.
