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Police seek 11 officers, four dispatchers and facility funding as calls surge
Summary
Decatur Police Department requested funding for 11 new officers, four more communications staff, vehicles and uniform/equipment increases after presenting rising call volumes and minimum-staffing shortfalls.
The Decatur Police Department presented a multi-part FY2026 request that centers on personnel increases to respond to rapidly rising calls for service and persistent minimum-staffing shortfalls.
A department representative told the council the department’s overtime and minimum staffing challenges are driven by recent growth and a strong local development pipeline. The presenter said call volume rose from about 16,000 annual calls three years ago to 38,000 in 2024 and is on track for about 42,000 in 2025. The department reported 32 sworn officers on the roster, with 16 assigned to patrol.
To address workload and reduce reliance on forced overtime, the department proposed adding 11 new sworn officers (starting pay listed in the presentation as $62,000), four additional communications personnel (dispatch), and a full‑time receptionist. The presenter said the salary cost for the new positions would total about $924,000; equipment and recurring costs (uniform allotments, vehicle leases, ammunition, software maintenance and subscriptions for the new building) were shown separately. The department estimated vehicle leasing costs at roughly $23,000 per vehicle per year and noted supply-chain lead times: vehicles ordered in April last year were still being upfitted months later.
The presenter warned that the department has already exceeded its overtime budget for the current fiscal year and that mandated overtime and denied vacation requests are beginning to affect morale and retention. “When the citizens call 911, not going is not an answer,” the presenter said, explaining that short staffing has required administrators to take calls and to reassign staff frequently.
Equipment requests included funding to outfit new officers (roughly $6,800 per certified hire and about $10,000 per academy recruit), replacement of gun-mounted cameras priced in a recent bid at about $20,000 total, and increased uniform and maintenance allocations to support a planned move into a new building. The department projected the 11 new officers would require 11 leased patrol vehicles (estimated $253,000 per year in lease payments).
Council questioned timelines for hiring and vehicle availability; the presenter said certified officers can be hired and moved through a four-month field-training program, while recruits sent to academy require roughly nine months to become fully assigned. The department did not ask for immediate council action but requested that council consider the personnel and capital needs as part of the FY2026 budget process.
No votes were taken during the presentation; council members engaged with the department on vehicle lead times, overtime levels, and the department’s estimate that added patrol staffing “would theoretically cover … the next 5–6 years” of currently approved development.
