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Police Chief Fairfield touts hires, indictments and nearly $1 million in grants in annual report
Summary
Police Chief Fairfield told the Brookhaven Board of Aldermen the department increased staffing, reopened cold cases and secured nearly $1 million in grants (about $40,000 local match). He outlined goals including a digital forensics lab, more officers and continued accreditation work.
Police Chief Fairfield presented the Brookhaven Police Department’s annual report, saying the department has increased staffing, expanded investigations and collected almost $1,000,000 in grant funding with roughly $40,000 in local matching costs. "We are honored to serve," Fairfield said as he described staffing moves and the department’s recent casework.
Fairfield said the department handled 32,997 calls from July-to-June in the reporting period, processed hundreds of arrests and citations, and reopened 22 cold cases. He reported presenting 69 cases to a grand jury with 48 indictments returned and said those results place the department well above previous closure rates for the city. "We're at 70% [grand-jury presentation rate], which puts us in the top 5% nationwide," he said.
On staffing and equipment, Fairfield said the department has hired dozens of personnel since his appointment (including patrol and CID positions), completed certification and training upgrades, deployed body cameras and is expanding traffic and motor-patrol capacity. He described grant-funded equipment and programs — including SRT equipment, upgraded radios and a planned digital-forensics lab — and said a $250,000 grant would fund cyber-security and forensic systems to allow the department to process media data in-house instead of waiting months for external analysis.
Fairfield outlined near-term goals: adding approximately 10 more officers (including at least one k-9), continuing fleet replacement on a five-year rotation, finishing e-ticket deployment and pursuing accreditation through the state standards and training process. On vehicle replacement he said many existing cars are high-mileage (some over 200,000 miles) and that a full rotation will take several years.
The chief also described training and evidence improvements: in-house courses to meet continuing-education requirements, a permanent overlap investigator shift to improve case response during peak times, and investments in body-worn cameras and an upgraded interview room camera system. "We will strengthen community confidence, invest in our people and meet emerging challenges with integrity," he said.
Board members asked about an open homicide investigation in a ward; Fairfield said detectives continue the work and that grand-jury steps are in process. The board heard the report and discussed vehicle and staffing timelines. Fairfield said the department will return with updates as grants are implemented and accreditation work progresses.
