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Council approves K9 equipment purchase; police service changes discussed with no action
Summary
Council approved equipment for a new police K9 squad vehicle and heard a presentation from Chief Morales on service-modification plans; council discussion produced no formal action and staff pointed residents to a department FAQ about the changes, which officials tied to a failed 2024 staffing referendum.
The Fitchburg Common Council on June 9 approved the purchase of equipment for the police department's replaced K9 squad vehicle and discussed, but took no action on, a set of recently announced police-response service modifications.
Chad Brecklin summarized the council's approval of equipment purchases to outfit the department's new K9 vehicle. The recap did not include contract numbers or a detailed procurement amount in the audio summary.
Chief Morales and several members of his leadership team presented the service-modification package to the council and walked through each proposed change. The council discussed the service adjustments but did not adopt or alter policy during the meeting. Brecklin advised listeners to consult the police department's website, which the department populated with a FAQ and summary of the 2026 response changes.
Brecklin noted one contributing factor to the department's staffing strain: a November 2024 referendum seeking additional officers failed, and that shortfall was cited in the department's explanation of why some services were altered. The recap did not include a vote or motion arising from the presentation; staff will follow up through standard departmental communications and any required policy steps.
