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Bridgeport police present multi-year hiring plan, vehicle and tech needs; overtime remains a pressure point
Summary
Police leaders told the council they aim to grow toward 400 sworn officers over a multi-year plan, requested funds for additional supervisors, vehicles and CJIS-compliant evidence storage, and defended recent overtime increases tied to storms, major incidents and event policing.
Police leadership urged the Bridgeport City Council budget committee to support targeted personnel and capital investments on April 30, arguing that added supervision, vehicles and technology will improve response times, investigative capacity and officer wellness.
"It is paramount that I'm fiscally responsible," the police chief told the committee as he opened the department's presentation, then outlined a four-year plan to increase supervised ranks and overall sworn strength. The chief said the department is rebuilding "from the bottom up" and is seeking to add lieutenants, sergeants and detectives to reduce supervisory span-of-control and the investigative backlog.
The department requested returning to a budgeted staffing target around 400 sworn officers over several years to support proactive policing and more consistent community presence. "The…
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