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Chief Poston details March activity, accreditation push and fleet shortfalls; firearms range cost disclosed
Summary
Chief Poston reported March activity counts including 3,063 calls for service and outlined the department's accreditation timeline, equipment needs and a $3.3 million firearms-range project, while commissioners discussed grant opportunities and vehicle procurement timing.
Chair called the Public Safety Commission meeting to order at 6:38 p.m. and the commission approved the minutes from March 24, 2025, before turning the floor over to Chief Poston.
Chief Poston delivered the department's monthly report, saying: "For our March activity reports, with 3,063 calls of service, 267 of that, which was criminal investigations, a 130 arrests, 87 motor vehicle accidents including 1 fatality, 5 DUI arrests, 9 narcotics related arrests, 450 new vehicle stops, and we had 7 DCF referrals." He told the commission overtime for March rose because of agency-wide trainings, including crisis-intervention and CIT courses.
Poston said the department completed a virtual accreditation review and will host an in-person review June 2–4 for Level 1 accreditation, describing the process as requiring "hundreds" of policies and proofs. He said alignment with national standards should improve policy consistency and help the department pursue federal and state grants. "I think that's a significant step," Poston said, noting the city budget includes a grant-writer position.
The chief outlined fleet challenges and repair costs that undergird the accreditation and readiness work. He said the department is roughly "10 cars down" for patrol staffing and cited multiple frontline patrol vehicles from model years 2017 and earlier, with several showing high mileage and recent engine failures; one out-of-warranty repair, he said, cost about $12,000. Poston said new marked patrol vehicles with equipment now cost in the range of tens of thousands of dollars, estimating a low-end figure in the transcript of about $82,000 per vehicle once fully equipped.
Poston also updated the commission on the department's firearms range project, calling the facility "functional" and saying certification and training will continue there. He reported the project cost at $3,300,000 and said an open-house date has not yet been set.
Why it matters: the report laid out operational pressures (staffing, fleet maintenance and equipment costs) that affect response capacity, training and the department's ability to pursue grants and certifications. Commissioners asked for repair and procurement detail and discussed whether capital funds or CNR allocations might help cover fleet or equipment needs.
Votes at a glance: the commission approved the minutes for March 24, 2025 (no recorded opposition). Later, the commission voted to adjourn at 7:08 p.m.
Next steps: Poston said accreditation documentation and grant-readiness efforts will continue and that department staff will follow up with procurement timing and repair-history data on request.
