Cathedral City police chief seeks targeted increases for dispatch, animal control and equipment in two-year budget

Cathedral City’s police chief presented a staffing and budget review to the City Council on March 19, asking for targeted additions to the department’s two-year budget and describing service changes in dispatch, community service officer staffing, animal control and equipment replacement.

The presentation outlined historical staffing trends, crime- and call-volume statistics for 2023 and 2024, and specific budget requests for fiscal years 2025–26 and 2026–27. The chief described proposed one-time and ongoing expenses, and warned some near-term goals—such as implementing Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) training by July 1, 2025—would be difficult without successful recruitment and training.

Why it matters: the requests would affect the police department’s on-the-street capacity and the city’s contract spending for animal control. Council members asked for clarity on staffing math and contract timing; the chief said staff will return with further details as recruiting and contract negotiations proceed.

The chief told the council the department has increased sworn staffing since 2013 while some non‑sworn areas, such as dispatch, have dipped. He said the dispatch center currently has one sergeant, 10 full‑time public safety dispatchers and two part‑time dispatchers…