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Fresno police present $279 million budget as citywide violent crime indicators fall
Summary
Police officials told the City Council the FY26 operating budget holds personnel steady at 930 sworn officers and previews continued grant-funded units while reporting decreases in shootings and murders year to date.
Fresno police leadership presented the department's FY26 budget proposal Tuesday, asking the council to approve a $278.7 million package that the department says supports 930 sworn positions and a range of grant-funded programs.
Chief (Police) told council members the proposed operating budget includes funding for two new patrol-focused units paid from grants and for ongoing investments in the 9-1-1 center, forensics and ballistic evidence systems. The city would continue to carry the bulk of police funding: most revenues for the department come from local sources, officials said.
The presentation foregrounded recent crime figures: the department reported a 39% drop in shootings for 2024 and a 46% year-to-date reduction in murders compared with the same period last year. Officials credited a mix of grant-funded task forces, digital forensics and a regional ballistic imaging system (NIBIN) for generating leads that help solve shootings and reduce retaliatory violence.
Police officials also walked the council through major contractual increases in FY26: maintenance and lease cost adjustments for district stations, a contracted digital forensics lab, warranties and licenses for evidence systems and a helicopter lease for aerial support. Staff said the departmental plan includes 4 new general-fund FTEs (one sergeant and three officers) and several grant-funded positions that are phased into the operating budget.
Chief (Police) and budget staff stressed continued reliance on state and federal grants for specialty units (organized retail theft, traffic enforcement and mental-health diversion work) while noting that roughly 95% of the department's budget still depends on city-controlled revenue.
The council asked detailed questions about patrol staffing, overtime drivers and how grant-funded units integrate with patrol. Council members pressed for additional data on traffic enforcement, collisions and fatalities to inform possible service changes and future grant or local funding.
The department did not request a formal vote Tuesday; councilmembers asked for several follow-up requests for information on recruitment pipelines, vehicle replacement schedules and the 9-1-1 facility timeline.
