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Essex police brief board on staffing shortfall and equipment request as regional CJC changes loom
Summary
Police leaders told the Select Board they are operating well below the authorized officer count and asked for funds to cover contract-driven salary increases, body cameras and tasers. Chittenden County's shift of pre-charge restorative justice functions to Burlington also left the fate of some CJC services uncertain.
Police officials reported the department was below its authorized complement (about 25 of 31 authorized officers at the time of the meeting) and facing a sizable increase in personnel costs tied to recent contract settlements. The department asked the board to fund body cameras, tasers and two vehicle replacements in the FY2027 operating and capital plan.
"Most of what we did this year with our budget planning was...decided by the union contract," said the police briefing, which noted that the personnel increases account for the single largest operating pressure in the police budget. Police staff also said the department expects to replace two patrol vehicles this cycle and continue a schedule of rolling equipment refreshes to keep apparatus safe and reliable.
On community-justice services, police and town managers discussed the state's Act 180 and a pending transition that moves most pre-charge restorative justice work to Burlington. Chittenden County's Community Justice Center (CJC) currently provides several victim- and diversion-related services; staff said they proposed level funding in the town budget until Burlington and regional partners clarify which services will remain local and who will deliver them. "We're recommending we double-fund CJC services this year to support the transition," the town manager said, describing the ongoing conversations with Burlington and county stakeholders.
Police also described modest operating changes — for example, consolidating Valor (records/crime mapping) subscriptions under technology lines — and noted a small vehicle schedule change tied to a vacancy allowance in the budget. Board members pressed for detail on vacancy projections and the city'town cost-share calculations for the police budget.
Next steps: The board asked staff to refine the city/town cost-share and to return with final equipment and camera costs so the board can weigh those requests alongside other departmental priorities before adoption of the FY2027 budget.
