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Cordele commissioners press for police staffing plan as FY27 budget shows $2 million shortfall
Summary
Following reports of recent break-ins and curfew concerns, commissioners asked the police chief to present a staffing plan to increase patrol coverage; staff said the department has 44 positions with vacancies and that shifts often operate with about four officers. Commissioners noted the proposed FY27 budget is roughly $2 million short of projected expenses.
Commissioners used an extended public-meeting segment on Thursday to press city staff about crime response, curfew enforcement and police staffing levels, and tied those concerns to an immediate FY27 budget shortfall.
Several commissioners described a recent string of break-ins and asked how many curfew violations had been enforced and whether the department had sufficient night-shift coverage. One commissioner said recent Friday-night patrols had only two officers on duty and said that was insufficient for neighborhoods where many incidents have occurred.
Police staffing numbers presented in the meeting record 44 positions in the department with about 27 assigned to patrol; staff said new hires and academy training mean not all authorized positions are immediately deployable and that some shifts are currently operating with roughly four officers. City staff and commissioners discussed redeploying day-shift personnel to evenings, installing cameras, improving community tip hotlines and seeking grant funding to bolster coverage.
The commission also reviewed current budget projections. Staff cited a proposed FY27 budget total of about $22 million and projected revenues of roughly $20 million, creating a shortfall of approximately $2 million. Commissioners asked the police chief to bring a staffing plan to the next meeting that would show what is required, and how much additional appropriation would be needed, to increase patrol levels toward recommended benchmarks.
Several commissioners said the painful alternatives include service consolidations or mergers if revenues do not increase or if growth does not generate new tax base; others urged the community to contribute to crime-reduction efforts through tips and neighborhood engagement.
What’s next: The commission asked Chief Hicks (not on the transcript) to provide a staffing and cost plan at the next meeting, and directed staff to continue pursuing grant opportunities and operational changes to increase evening patrol coverage.
