Berwyn committee reviews police 2026 budget; staffing held at 118 amid health-insurance uncertainty

The Berwyn Budget Finance Committee met to review the police department's proposed 2026 budget, focusing on revenue changes, modest shifts in expenditures and several capital needs that remain unfunded or contingent.

Commanders from the police department presented the budget and said reimbursements for three officers assigned to Moore High School and increasing grant revenue helped the department's revenue outlook. The department also listed a roughly $850,000 technology and body-camera line and said it expects to pursue a recruitment and retention grant (described in the meeting as nearly $200,000).

Why it matters: department leaders told the committee they are trying to 'do more with less' by reallocating existing funds, reducing some programmatic costs and avoiding requests for additional full-time positions while preserving key technology and safety programs.

Key budget items and decisions - Staffing: The department described an earlier 'anticipatory hiring' approach that allowed hiring up to five extra officers when attrition was expected. For the 2026 budget the department set a target of…