Fraser public safety seeks new vehicles, accreditation and encrypted radios as costs creep up

Public safety leaders told Fraser’s council on April 16 they need new equipment, software and personnel changes to keep pace with operations and evolving mandates, and that those requests will add to budget pressure already shaped by infrastructure needs.

Sam, Fraser’s public safety director, asked for targeted vehicle replacements this fiscal year — a 2026 Road Glide motorcycle (estimated $30–32k plus outfitting), a side‑by‑side utility vehicle (roughly $25k), and the replacement of an aging unmarked vehicle. He said an ambulance authorized earlier is on order and should enter service this summer.

Staffing and classification requests included promoting a patrol officer into a sergeant/fire‑marshal role (a reallocation rather than a net increase in sworn headcount) and reclassifying a records clerk to a Confidential Administrative Assistant to reflect expanded duties and sensitive record handling.

Accreditation and records management: Sam also urged council to fund an accreditation push and associated software. He presented a vendor estimate (Rassau Group assistance plus Michigan Association of Chiefs of Police accreditation fees) and recommended PowerDMS for policy management and training records; the basic PowerDMS option for two years begins around $8,700, while fuller training/scheduling modules run into the $11k–$15k range over multiple years.

Radio encryption and lifecycle costs: The department flagged a forthcoming radio encryption mandate that will require radios that are 'encryption capable' and eventual programming to flip encryption on. Sam noted acquisition costs for radios (he cited a prior purchase of 10 handhelds for about $70,000) and that programming/activation and system‑wide coordination add substantial additional fees when encryption is enabled. He warned activation costs, programming time and interoperability sequencing are significant and urged the city to plan and budget across multiple years rather than assume a single purchase will complete the work.

Forfeiture and equipment funding: Sam outlined current use of forfeiture funds and said the school district pays for three of the city’s Flock cameras; purchases such as Motorola dash‑ and body‑camera hardware have been funded partly by forfeiture funds and grants (the body‑cam purchase was offset by a $50,000 grant).

Next steps: Council did not take a vote at the workshop. Staff said they will bring cost estimates, timing, and proposed funding sources (general fund, forfeiture funds, or staged purchases) back to council for formal consideration.

Quote: “It is going to be expensive,” Sam said of the move to encrypted radios, emphasizing both hardware and activation costs that follow purchase.