Sedona council tentatively funds nine new police positions after multi‑model staffing analysis

Sedona’s City Council agreed in principle to add nine sworn police positions to the city’s FY26 budget after an extended presentation by Police Chief Stephanie Foley showing multiple staffing models that, she said, point to a shortfall.

Foley told the council the department’s steady call volume and the city’s large daily tourist population have left officers working fatigue‑driven overtime and exposed the city to “the risk that one breakdown or an accident could leave us unable to provide base‑level service.” She recommended five additional patrol officers, three traffic/motor‑unit positions (including a commercial‑vehicle inspector) and one community‑focused outreach officer to address persistent homelessness and service needs. “These nine officers are a need,” Foley said; “they help keep officers safer and citizens safer.”

The chief anchored the request to three separate staffing analyses—ICMA population ratios, a workload-based saturation index and an internal heat‑map of call volumes by hour—that all showed the department operating above recommended saturation thresholds for long stretches of each week. Staff showed average officer time on a call at roughly 53 minutes, and argued single‑officer minimums during peak hours left no capacity for the department’s frequent two‑officer calls such as domestic incidents.

City staff estimated the nine‑position package carries an…