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Bristol police present budget as staffing shortfalls force reassignments and operational changes
Summary
The police chief told commissioners the department is short eight sworn officers and plans temporary reassignment of staff officers to patrol, folding CSU back into patrol, and potentially redeploying SROs for patrol; the commission approved the department’s budget packet.
Chief Mark Morello told the Police Commission that the department is operating below its budgeted staffing level and outlined near‑term operational changes intended to maintain patrol coverage.
The chief said the department currently has 116 sworn officers versus a budgeted 124 and listed eight vacancies and several officers on injury or light duty. To address shortfalls the department will reassign one staff officer from divisions with multiple staff officers back to road patrol beginning the next cycle (March 14), fold the CSU back into patrol for the near term, and may need to reassign school resource officers (SROs) into the patrol pool over the summer. "Because of these recruitment numbers coupled with our staffing, we really are at a crisis at this point with our staffing numbers," the chief said.
The budget review included a proposed 19% increase in some professional fees to account for recruitment and related expenses, a plan to rebuild 21 rifles to extend service life, an allocation of $200,000 for consulting toward a radio‑system replacement and capital plan, and pursuit of federal grant funding for a drone program for first‑responder support (privacy concerns were noted). The chief said a radio system replacement may be needed as vendor support wanes and that grant funding could cover drone procurement.
Commissioners requested additional clarifying metrics—such as sworn headcount and internal affairs processing rates—to include on the budget cover page for bond rating and GFOA purposes. After review the commission voted to approve the budget as presented. The chief said some staffing‑related programs (reassignments and redeployments) are temporary and will be re‑evaluated as hiring progress continues.
