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Police propose three officers, two cadets in FY2026; chief says accreditation, recruitment efforts continuing
Summary
Bowie Police Department briefed council on recruitment strategy, accreditation status and a FY2026 proposal to add three officers and two cadets to bolster patrol and community events staffing.
The Bowie Police Department outlined recruiting and staffing plans and proposed adding three police officers and two police cadets in the FY2026 budget to strengthen patrol capacity and community-event coverage.
The police chief told the council the department is accredited and continues to maintain accreditation standards. Recruitments completed in 2024 included a marketing and recruitment strategy for sworn officers, dispatchers and civilian positions. As part of FY2026 budget proposals, staff included two cadets to assist with community events and security details and three full sworn officer positions to increase patrol strength.
The proposed additions would raise the department’s FTE count from about 87.5 to 92.5 if approved; the proposed salary and fringe amounts for the additions were presented in the draft budget. Staff also described required and ongoing mental-health checks and psychological evaluations for sworn officers, and said the department already uses employee-assistance resources and a volunteer police chaplain. The chief said existing in-service training and mandated evaluations provide ongoing monitoring of officers’ well-being.
Council asked about adding resiliency training. The chief said mandatory psychological evaluations and other resources are in place; the department currently integrates wellness resources in training and did not request additional resiliency training funds at the meeting.
No formal vote was recorded; staffing proposals were included in the draft FY2026 budget for council consideration.
