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Council reviews police budget increase tied to staffing and 'Bees' patrol program
Summary
Police presented a FY27 budget increase driven by staffing, benefits and a proposed $47,000 'Bees' patrol program (two part‑time positions); chief reported dispatch revenue partly offsets costs and noted several vacancies and academy trainees.
City police leadership presented the proposed FY27 police budget, describing staffing and contractual-cost drivers and a proposed community-focused "Bees" patrol program. The department proposed roughly $2.9 million for patrol, dispatch and support functions; dispatch revenue from interlocal contracts covers about 8% of the dispatch budget. The chief told council the department shows three vacancies on paper while several officers are in the academy or temporarily deployed.
On new programming, the budget includes $47,000 to restart the Bees patrol program designed for community outreach and bike-based patrol coverage. "That number covers two people, 32 hours a week of coverage," the Police Chief (speaker 9) said, adding Norwich interns may provide staffing support and that refurbished bikes could be used. Councilors asked whether ticket revenue and permitting fees meaningfully offset enforcement costs; the chief provided 2025 ticket and late-fee figures and noted online payment options and a contract with a collection agency.
Council members pressed on staffing detail, mental‑health clinician staffing and detective overlap with patrol; the chief said the clinician line on an org chart was an oversight and confirmed current staffing gaps in several divisions. The chief pointed council to the department’s published annual statistics on the city's transparency page for detailed call-type data.
Council did not take a final budget vote on the floor; staff will return with further budget deliberations and options to meet council targets before the formal warning and adoption process.
