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Fernandina Beach police report shows rising calls, low use-of-force and more training
Summary
Police Chief Jeff Tambasco told the commission the Fernandina Beach Police Department handled 32,553 calls for service in 2025, increased training hours and recorded only two incidents involving force; the department also reported a largely personnel-driven budget and plans for staffing and equipment investments.
Chief Jeff Tambasco presented the Fernandina Beach Police Department's 2025 annual report during the March 17 commission meeting, saying the department handled 32,553 calls for service last year while maintaining what he described as a focus on officer wellness and community engagement.
"What is difficult to highlight in this report are some of the most demanding and challenging things our officers are faced with," Tambasco said, noting the department responds to domestic violence, mental‑health episodes and fatal calls that do not show up in raw data. He said the FBPD has 38 full‑time sworn officers, two part‑time sworn officers, and a small civilian records staff that processed hundreds of reports and public‑records requests.
The chief said the department recorded 4,969 combined training hours in 2025 and is increasing that target by another 1,000 hours for 2026. Tambasco also described a new critical incident stress management team, composed of police and fire personnel, to debrief officers after stressful incidents.
Tambasco highlighted a low number of use‑of‑force events: "Out of 32,000 calls for service, we only had 2 incidents where we had to respond to resistance, which is also known as use of force." He said neither incident occurred during an arrest or a mental‑health response and credited de‑escalation training.
On budget, Tambasco said personnel accounts for about 76% of the department's budget, with 17% operating costs and roughly 5.8% for technology, vehicles and communications. He told commissioners the department found roughly $505,000 in unspent budgeted allotments through fiscal management.
Commissioners asked about the growth in calls for service since 2021; Tambasco attributed part of the increase to improved tracking and a larger visiting population in the city. He said the department participates in county and regional teams, maintains school resource officers and works with a narcotics task force and a new domestic security and intelligence unit.
The commission did not take action on the report but thanked the chief and staff for the presentation.
