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Prince George police ask for seven officers, records clerk and command reclassification in 2027 budget
Summary
Chief Early told the board the Police Department seeks seven new sworn officers, a full‑time records clerk and a lieutenant reclassified to captain, citing a 17% rise in calls for service and current staffing shortfalls; board members probed grant dependencies and equipment costs.
Chief Early, speaking for the Prince George Police Department, told the board the department’s 2027 request includes seven new sworn officer positions, a full‑time records clerk and reclassification of a lieutenant to captain. "We are requesting 7 police officer, new police officer positions, 1 records clerk position, reclassified lieutenant to a captain," he said, framing the requests as necessary to maintain response capacity and officer safety.
Chief Early cited workload metrics to justify the hires: calls for service were about 24,086 in 2025, roughly a 17% increase over the prior four‑year average, and the department currently shows about 66 sworn officers (about 1.46 officers per 1,000 population). He said sustained minimum staffing often forces supervisors to "triage" simultaneous major incidents and that added staffing would allow a fifth patrol zone, reduce response times and provide capacity to handle multiple large incidents.
Board members asked how the request accounted for existing grant positions that are expiring. Chief Early acknowledged several grant‑funded officers (school resource officers and an Operation Ceasefire position) and said the seven‑officer request is in addition to current positions, including grant roles; he said retaining some grant positions would require future local funding if grants lapse. The chief also provided a per‑officer vehicle and equipment estimate of about $79,086 and said the department has calculated salary and benefits figures separately.
The presentation also included a request for a pay adjustment (Chief Early referenced a 3%–5% plan) to remain competitive for recruiting and retention. The chief said the reclassification to add command capacity reduces strain on existing leadership and would support departmental planning and oversight. The board followed with technical and budgetary questions about overtime reduction, anticipated savings, and the downstream impact on county jail costs if arrests increase.
Next steps: the police budget request remains before the board for inclusion in the county’s FY2027 recommended budget and additional staff follow‑up on overtime and revenue assumptions was requested by board members.
