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Police accreditation, new marine patrol and equipment drive police budget increases
Summary
Police department requests drove a significant portion of FY25–26 increases, including accreditation staffing, two assistants to chiefs, a part-time marine patrol officer for seven-day coverage and a body-camera system integrated with tasers that auto-activates.
Police leadership told the commission that much of the department’s requested increase is personnel-driven and linked to accreditation and safety needs. Police Chief Sam said the department is undergoing a reaccreditation cycle that requires additional positions, training and equipment. "Accreditation is a big victory for this... It’s given us cover of liability... and there's a lot of work to be done," the chief said.
The department requested two assistant chief positions to mentor junior supervisors, a full-time community affairs officer and a part-time marine patrol officer to ensure seven-day coverage and redundancy. Chief Sam and the manager also explained a new body-worn camera and taser integration: when a taser is unholstered the officer’s body camera turns on automatically, which staff said improves evidence capture and accountability. Commissioners questioned the staffing math and asked for line-item clarifications; staff said most police increases are personnel and equipment tied to public-safety priorities and will be itemized in department pages.
