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Winchester police describe training, vehicle budget and license‑plate‑reader pilot
Summary
Police Chief Mike Burke reported quarterly firearms and emergency vehicle training, said the department plans to budget $58,000–$60,000 per marked patrol unit for next year, and described an upcoming 30‑day trial of Flock license‑plate readers pending NDOT permits.
Police Chief Mike Burke told the Board of Works the department completed firearms and emergency vehicle operations training and is preparing equipment and vehicle purchases for next year.
Burke said the department will budget roughly $58,000–$60,000 per marked patrol vehicle with upfitting, and that he plans to stagger purchases and reuse equipment where possible. “We’re going to look between 58 and 60 with equipment,” Burke said, adding that some equipment can be transferred between vehicles.
On technology, Burke described an agreement with Flock for a license‑plate‑reader pilot that will start once NDOT approves permits for pole-mounted cameras. The department will run a trial (the “T&T period”) for about 30 days to evaluate camera placement and effectiveness and to determine how many units to keep, he said. The system links to law‑enforcement hot lists for major incidents, Amber Alerts and felony warrants; the chief said administrative controls will define who may add entries to those lists.
Burke also noted recent vehicle maintenance issues and staffing updates, including hiring Officer Dirkson into field training. The department said it will continue evaluating vehicle upfitting options to control costs.
