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Brownsburg chiefs and residents raise staffing and payroll oversight concerns for police and fire territory
Summary
Police and fire chiefs reported recent hires but persistent vacancies and recruitment challenges tied to pay; a citizen raised concerns over a rushed FSLA‑related payroll rollout for the Fire Territory and questioned executive‑board oversight.
Police Chief Joe Grimes and Fire Chief Larry Alcorn reported staffing activity and recruitment challenges at the March 26 council meeting.
Chief Grimes said the department recently lost a crime‑scene investigator and a civilian forensics analyst, is down several sworn positions, and has seen no lateral recruits from other agencies: "As of right now, we've had 0 people put in for our lateral from other agencies," he told council and asked members to engage in budget discussions about sworn personnel raises and pension issues.
Chief Alcorn reported six new firefighters assigned to shifts and six more entering the academy April 27 for 20 weeks of training, and he echoed pay as a primary retention issue.
During general citizen comments, David Wyatt raised oversight concerns with the Fire Territory executive board and described confusion around recent payroll and shift‑start rollouts tied to FSLA interpretations. Wyatt cited legal‑cost reporting inconsistencies and described the departmental messaging as "incredibly inconsistent," urging the board to restore clearer oversight and to explain the timing of payroll changes ahead of a federal court date. Wyatt called for immediate corrections or exit interviews to address possible further departures.
Council members asked about exit interviews, pay and benefits, and whether departures are primarily salary‑driven; chiefs described exit interviews conducted by the chief or assistant chief and reiterated that pay and benefits are key retention drivers. Council and staff agreed to continue discussions during the 2027 budget process.
