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Police chief warns of staffing shortfalls and rising overtime as department faces cuts
Summary
Police Chief Lasher told the committee the department is operating below FBI recommended staffing levels (74 officers vs. recommended 85–90), has exceeded overtime budgets this year (about $1.1M so far), and faces proposed reductions of one sergeant and one patrol position via attrition.
Chief Lasher told the finance and property subcommittee that Beverly's police department responded to roughly 29,500 calls for service in 2025 and expects a 2,000–3,000 increase this year. He said the department's current sworn strength is 74 officers, below the FBI guideline of 2.5 officers per 1,000 residents, which would yield an 85–90 officer target for a city this size.
The chief outlined budget pressures: overtime is trending above the department's current allotment (more than $1 million year-to-date by last print), the maintenance line has been reduced even as vehicles run 24/7, and planned fleet replacements have been delayed. He said one recommended reduction in the FY27 proposal is a single sergeant post and one patrol position by attrition.
Councillors and finance staff probed the overtime risk. Mr. Perry noted prior years' transfers into overtime accounts and cautioned that court time, unpredictable major incidents and mandated training create volatility that is difficult to forecast precisely. He said the department's overtime needs historically required transfers from other lines and recommended conservative planning.
Discussion covered fleet costs: the chief estimated state-bid cruiser costs of about $48,000 plus $25,000–$30,000 in equipment and outfitting per vehicle; Mr. Perry said cruisers are generally treated as operational rather than multiyear capital due to high usage and turnover. The chief also described added technology and equipment costs in the records-management transition, key-box systems, a new drone program for search-and-rescue, and the occasional use of Flock cameras funded from seizure/forfeiture lines.
Council members asked about impacts of reducing supervisory ranks and whether overtime savings plans being developed by command staff would be sufficient. The chief said staff will propose staffing-level plans over the summer that could reduce overtime but warned that losing supervisors will shift workload and services elsewhere.
The committee requested additional financial detail and signaled attention to personnel and fleet trade-offs as the FY27 budget is finalized.
