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Southborough police ask capital committee for red-dot sights, firearms, radios and four vehicles
Summary
Police Chief presented FY27 capital requests including 8 red-dot sights, three fully outfitted firearms, two portable radios and four vehicles (two frontline cruisers and two Bronco Sports) to outfit recent personnel increases and replace high‑mileage cruisers.
Chief Knowles told the Capital Improvement & Planning Committee on Dec. 1 that the Southborough Police Department is seeking equipment and vehicle funding tied to recent increases in sworn personnel. The department requested eight LED red-dot sight units to improve target-acquisition speed and safety, three fully outfitted firearms for new officers, two additional portable radios and funds to replace high-mileage cruisers plus two Bronco Sports for administrative use.
“It's really a safety precaution for our officers and the public,” Chief Knowles said of the red-dot sights, explaining the optics allow officers to keep both eyes open and gain faster target acquisition in high-stress situations. He said the submission listed $5,000 for the eight sights and $5,000 for three fully outfitted firearms. The presentation also included a portable-radio line and vehicle estimates for a detective Bronco at roughly $37,000 and upfitting near $40,000.
Committee members asked for lifecycle and fleet-size details. Chief Knowles said the department currently operates a 14-vehicle fleet and that a replacement rhythm of roughly two vehicles per year has been typical, though occasional years of three replacements may be warranted. He also said cruiser-related detail work brought in about $234,000 in FY25, which offsets some operating costs.
Members raised policy questions tied to personnel growth. The committee pressed on whether capital costs were being considered when positions were added and asked whether the second lieutenant's vehicle would be a permanent take-home. Chief Knowles said the first lieutenant's take-home car had been approved by the Select Board and described a permanent take-home for the second lieutenant as reasonable given response needs; final approval rests with the Select Board.
No final capital decisions were made. The committee said it will review larger items in the context of other departmental requests and plans to meet with the Select Board in early January to discuss overall capital priorities ahead of town meeting.
