The Allentown Police Department described personnel shortfalls, recruitment progress, technology investments and an expanding community intervention effort as part of its 2026 budget presentation.

The police chief (name not stated in the meeting transcript) said the department’s authorized strength is 232 officers and current staffing stands at 215; the chief said several veteran officers intend to retire at year‑end and the department is actively recruiting and testing candidates. “The authorized strength for the Allentown Police Department is 232 officers. Our staffing level is currently at 215 officers,” the chief said (00:25:58).

Recruitment and training: The chief reported that the department processed 1,140 applicants over multiple testing cycles and that 15 officers were hired so far; additional testing sessions are planned in January, March, June and November 2026. The department reported 275 different training sessions in 2025, of which 166 were at no cost and 109 required payment (00:26:48; 00:32:00).

Community Intervention Specialist (CIS): The chief introduced Ellie Flores as a community advocate who will lead CIS work in partnership with Pinebrook Family Answers and act as an officer‑wellness liaison. Council members pressed for CIS reporting and asked whether Cedar Crest College and the Casebook data system would produce reports before the budget vote. The chief said the grant requires reports and staff will work to provide council with data; the Casebook database is still being populated (00:30:46; 00:35:15).

Technology and operations: The department highlighted continued use of license‑plate readers and gunshot‑detection tools and said technology investments and data systems help solve serious crimes. Technical services manager Dennis Weatherholt said grant funding reduced the equipment budget for 2026, that staff maintain roughly 1,500 radios citywide, and that the city has 198 street cameras and 126 building cameras (324 total), with deployment of an additional 150 grant‑funded street cameras about 50% complete (00:33:45; 00:34:08).

Council follow‑up: Council members asked about anticipated retirements (the chief estimated about 12) and requested timely CIS progress reports. The chief said the grant and Casebook system will generate periodic reports required by the grant and staff will attempt to provide usable data as soon as it is available (00:35:26; 00:38:32).

Ending: The chief framed the proposed budget as a balanced investment in personnel, equipment and training to preserve public safety and improve community trust, and announced plans for a January 2026 groundbreaking for a new downtown police station (00:33:16).