Lifetime Citizen Portal Access — AI Briefings, Alerts & Unlimited Follows
Lewiston council weighs police budget increases, 'Flock' license‑plate readers and take‑home cruisers
Loading...
Summary
City leaders reviewed a police budget that anticipates higher personnel costs, expanded contracted services for body cameras and a proposed $5.2 million LCIP take‑home vehicle program. Councilors pressed for data on recruiting benefits, costs that could be removed if vehicles aren’t approved, and a public summary of how the 'Flock' license‑plate reader has been used.
Director Roy and Police Chief Conley presented detailed changes to the Lewiston police budget at Tuesday’s budget workshop, highlighting personnel cost increases, new contracted services and a large LCIP line for take‑home vehicles.
The mayor opened the session by asking Chief Conley to answer council questions after Director Roy reviewed department totals. Director Roy said the police department budget shows an overall increase of about 7.5%, with police administration up roughly 10% largely for step increases and cost‑of‑living adjustments. He identified patrol increases—about $403,200, or 6.5%—driven primarily by a gas and oil line that would rise by roughly $286,700 if proposed take‑home vehicles are approved. Support services rose sharply, Director Roy said, driven by a roughly $312,000 increase in contracted services and a body‑camera maintenance contract that rose by about $243,443.
Chief Conley described operational drivers behind the request. “We’re down 15 people right now,” Chief Conley said, noting additional retirements and training‑related vacancies that could leave the department down as many as 18 officers in September. He told councilors the department is relying on several technology investments and recruitment tools, including the proposed take‑home cruiser program, to stabilize staffing.
Councilors pressed for specifics on what could be removed from the budget if the take‑home vehicles are not approved. Director Roy said LCIP entries for the vehicles could be removed from the operating lines: roughly $297,500 under gas and oil, $55,002.50 under vehicle repairs, and about $120,000 for insurance in the miscellaneous budget—totaling approximately $472,007.50.
Councilors also questioned the value proposition of the proprietary license‑plate reader system commonly called “Flock.” Councilor Chidham asked for a public summary of the benefits and potential privacy controls, calling out “an incredible amount of misinformation out there.” Chief Conley said the department has been compiling monthly reports on investigative benefits—shooting investigations, kidnappings and domestic‑violence cases among examples—and described the system as a time‑saving tool that links license plates across jurisdictions.
Several councilors compared the cost of the Flock system with the cost of hiring additional officers. Councilor Martel argued that the system delivers capabilities that two officers could not replicate at comparable cost, calling it “an immense amount of value for the money.” Chief Conley agreed that Flock focuses on license plates and vehicle tracking in ways other fixed city cameras do not, and said negotiations with the vendor may produce a lower recurring fee than originally quoted.
Councilors requested a written report and a public presentation detailing how the city has limited the system’s use, what data are retained or shared, and the measurable investigative benefits the department has documented. Chief Conley agreed to provide that documentation and to have Sergeant Brown present operational constraints and safeguards to the council.
The council’s technical and budget questions also covered recruiting effects. Chief Conley said take‑home vehicles are a frequent topic in recruitment conversations and estimated the department might attract “4 or 5” lateral officers in the near term if the program proceeds. He cautioned that hiring uncertified recruits takes far longer—about a year from hire to independent patrol—because of the hiring process, an 18‑week academy and subsequent field training.
The council did not take a final vote on the take‑home vehicle LCIP or the Flock contract at the workshop. The mayor and staff said the items will return with additional detail and that operating lines tied to the vehicle decision can be removed if the council declines the LCIP entry.
Ending: Councilors closed the police discussion by asking staff to circulate the Flock usage report and cost memos for the take‑home vehicle proposal ahead of later budget deliberations.
