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Police command seeks more cruiser funding, body cameras and a multi-million-dollar radio/dispatch upgrade
Summary
Wareham police chiefs told the Finance Committee they aim to keep at least 10 officers per patrol shift, want to raise cruiser replacement funding to cover higher purchase/outfitting costs, and plan to equip officers with body-worn cameras; they also warned the town’s radio/dispatch consoles and infrastructure are aging and will require a multi‑year, multi‑million upgrade.
Chief Walter Korea and his command staff told the Finance Committee that the department’s top near-term priority is to maintain at least 10 patrol officers per shift to avoid substantial overtime and service impacts.
Korea and Lieutenants Michael Smith and Brian Whan described a package of equipment and capital priorities that would support that staffing level: increased funding for cruiser purchases and outfitting (current procurement and outfitting prices have risen sharply), body-worn cameras for officers (estimated recurring program cost in the town’s packet), and a critical need to replace or modernize the dispatch console and radio infrastructure that support day-to-day 911 operations.
The radio/dispatch issue: the command staff said the station’s console and radio systems are technologically outdated, with some components more than 20 years old and increasingly unsupported by manufacturers. Engineers’ surveys in the packet estimate a full modern replacement and migration to fiber-based systems would be a multi-million-dollar undertaking; the chiefs described that work as vital to ensure resilient 911 dispatch and interoperable multi-agency radio links.
Fleet details: the department requested increased cruiser capital (to account for equipment and sourcing shifts) and described steps to reduce vehicle costs by evaluating alternate patrol platforms (Ford F-150 police responder or Explorer) and by reusing compatible equipment where feasible. They also proposed capturing administrative fees from paid details to help fund fleet needs.
Next steps: police staff will work with town administrators and the capital planning committee on a multi-year plan that covers cruisers, body-worn camera procurement and a staged radio/dispatch infrastructure upgrade; they signaled they will seek grant support where available.
