Police outline staffing, equipment purchases and timeline for red‑light cameras

The police presenter (speaker 15) told the board the department is nearing authorized staffing levels—about 118 officers of an authorized 120—and described ongoing technology and capital needs tied to public safety and reform implementation. The department has purchased equipment and is seeking reimbursements and grants for motorcycles and related transport equipment; presenter said the grant for two motorcycles and a trailer totaled just under $90,000 and that the trailer and equipment account for roughly $16,000 of that amount.

Why it matters: Staffing levels, technology rollouts and capital equipment directly affect patrol capacity and program delivery; board members pressed for clarity on grant accounting, red‑light camera timelines and how those projects fit into the capital budget.

Key details: The department has been rolling out Axon integrations and body‑camera features that automatically activate when an officer draws a weapon or deploys a Taser; the rollout and consultant costs are ongoing. The chief said red‑light camera installation timing depends on vendor delivery and state sequencing—three months was an optimistic estimate but the town is awaiting a final supplier timeline. On equipment grants, the presenter explained funds were transferred into capital lines to create purchase orders so the town could buy items and be reimbursed by the state.

Next steps: The chief will meet with the supplier and provide a timeline update; the board asked the chief to send a concise schedule so the town can plan capital work and coordinate with the state.

Ending: No new appropriations were approved; the town expects to budget for capital equipment and to track reimbursements related to grant purchases.