Neptune Beach reviews FY26 police budget, proposes department-wide body cameras and expanded license-plate readers

Neptune Beach — The Neptune Beach City Council on July 21 heard a presentation from Chief Key on the Police Department’s proposed fiscal year 2026 budget, which he said would require a modest net increase over baseline to expand technology and cover select capital items.

Chief Key told council members the department is asking for roughly $26,000 above its baseline after internal cuts and grant offsets. He described two primary new equipment requests: in-car radios (about $6,000, to be funded from a radio/911 trust account) and a departmentwide rollout of body-worn cameras. "We feel that it's needed," Chief Key said, arguing that limited prior 'hot-seat' camera usage left gaps in coverage and that a full rollout will better document incidents.

Why it matters: Chief Key framed the camera and radio purchases as accountability and safety measures, saying they would reduce investigative gaps and help capture evidence in incidents involving multiple officers. He also said the department averages about one internal-affairs case a year and expressed pride in staff professionalism.

The body-camera plan: Chief Key described existing practice of "hot-seating" a small number of cameras across shifts and outlined operational burdens tied to video redaction, saying redaction historically can take many minutes per minute of footage. He said improvements in redaction software, including AI-assisted tools to aid but not replace human review, have materially reduced that workload. The department estimated the initial tranche of body-camera equipment at roughly $38,000 (quoted as one of five installments over a multi-year arrangement) and said contracted hardware, software and cloud storage are part of multi-year recurring costs.

License-plate readers and funding: The chief proposed adding seven license-plate-reader (LPR) units paid from the city’s school speed-zone camera fund rather than general revenue; his detailed cost mention was six units at about $3,000 each and one unit at about $5,000. He said the LPRs were configured to capture vehicles leaving Neptune Beach, where, he said, a majority of reported offenders originate. The plan includes coordination with neighboring Jacksonville Beach and Atlantic Beach so each city covers opposite traffic directions.

Grants and alternative funding: Chief Key said the department plans an unprecedented push for outside funding, including a JAG grant for a patrol vehicle (estimated about $50,360), a Firehouse Subs public-safety grant (UTV), a port-security grant for cybersecurity or exterior hardening (about $50,000), and the BJA Bulletproof Vest Partnership (50% reimbursement). He also proposed using existing forfeiture and fine funds — noting a $25,000 DEA endowment already earmarked for range improvements — toward a firearms-range rehabilitation project while following state statute requirements for such expenditures.

Costs and accounting: Chief Key emphasized that headline budget figures are inflated by grant accounting and restricted funds; he said the department’s FY26 items showed about $282,000 on paper but only a modest net ask after offsets and internal cuts. He highlighted a review with the city manager and finance director that identified roughly $20,000 in savings to help cover increases.

Council questions centered on recurring costs and staffing: Council members asked about ongoing contract fees for body cameras, LPR annual costs (staff quoted roughly $23,000 a year for the proposed LPR expansion), and whether additional civilian staff would be needed for redaction. Chief Key said cross-trained administrative staff could accommodate redaction needs and stressed the department would not allow AI to generate police reports. "With AI assistance in redaction ... I don't believe whatsoever that we would have a need" to hire additional staff, he said.

What’s next: Council did not take a formal vote at the workshop; the presentation moved the Police Department’s budget request forward into the council’s broader budget review process. Staff said they will confirm fund balances and provide further line-item breakdowns upon finalizing numbers.

Ending note: Chief Key closed by calling the FY26 ask modest relative to department needs and said staff will continue to pursue grants to reduce direct general-fund impacts.