The Norwalk police chief reported staffing, enforcement activity and technology trials at the Board of Police Commissioners meeting on Dec. 15.

The chief said the department has 181 sworn personnel as of the end of November 2025 and noted two current openings created by recent retirements and several officers on administrative leave or restricted duty. He said four officers are in the post‑academy and two conditional offers have been made with backgrounds underway.

The department is conducting a special services enforcement effort targeting vape retailers after the city adopted a new vape ordinance. "Of the 48 shops in town, 26 were registered, 14 were cited for failing to register," the chief said, adding that planning and zoning and the town clerk are coordinating compliance steps.

On technology, the chief said the department entered a 90‑day trial to test an Axon translation feature integrated with body‑worn cameras. The chief described the system as capable of translating multiple languages (the department cited 38 languages) and said training would be provided during the trial; the department plans to budget $83,000 for the program in the next fiscal year pending evaluation.

Commissioners asked questions about the workload in the special victims unit (SVU), which the chief and deputy chiefs said generates high overtime. The SVU overtime figure was cited as a 485% increase over Nov. 2024, attributed to case complexity and computer‑forensic needs. Deputy Chief Blake described detective and special services activity, including search warrants, narcotics arrests, seizure of nitrous oxide and a rise in car stops (1,507 in November).