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Simsbury Police Commission presents FY2027 budget emphasizing staffing, cameras and in-house training
Summary
The Simsbury Police Commission presented a FY2027 budget that maintains a sworn strength of 42 officers, funds collective-bargaining wage increases, replaces aging evidence refrigerators and vehicles, renews roadside camera leases and expands coverage, and continues in‑house state certification training.
Eric Limy, chair of the Simsbury Police Commission, presented the department’s fiscal 2027 budget to the Board of Selectmen, saying the plan funds the existing authorized sworn strength of 42 officers and covers contractually required wage increases. “This budget funds and supports the existing authorized sworn strength of 42 officers,” Limy said during the presentation.
Limy told the board the department is proposing to renew a two‑year lease on roadside cameras and expand coverage by one or two intersections after exploring partnerships with neighboring towns. “We currently have three intersections, a total of six cameras,” Limy said, adding the lease comes up at the end of June and the department aims to partner regionally to place additional cameras near town borders to expand regional coverage.
The budget also calls for replacing two hybrid marked cruisers and two unmarked administrative vehicles, and for replacing over‑20‑year‑old evidence-room refrigeration equipment. Limy said the hybrid patrol fleet has produced fuel‑use efficiencies, reducing the department’s projected fuel costs.
On training, Limy described a shift toward hosting more state‑required certification and other courses in‑house rather than sending officers to a regional provider. “We host here now the other aspects whether it is law updates, our policies and procedures,” he said, arguing the in‑house format improves instructor interaction and flexibility while still using West Hartford for certain medical training.
Board members pressed on overtime budgeting and vacancy impacts. Limy said overtime is driven by storms, injuries and vacancies and that filling vacancies over time is the primary mitigation. He noted five current vacancies in the department and that prior staffing studies used 2022 data and may need updating.
The presentation set the police department piece of the town budget ahead of the town manager’s broader package; staff said the police request will be folded into the townwide FY2027 proposal.
