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Police chief highlights surge in live training and community outreach during busy quarter
Summary
Police leadership reported increased live training hours (from 384 to 2,096), expanded FTO capacity, new SRO in schools, community outreach events and significant overtime tied to special events and staffing gaps.
The police chief (speaker 1) presented a comprehensive second‑quarter update describing staffing challenges, training changes and community engagement. He said the department dramatically increased live training hours (from 384 in an earlier quarter to 2,096 in the second quarter), implemented a new FTO school and expanded the number of officers eligible as field training officers.
"Better training equals better morale," the chief said, noting the department shifted much of its training from online modules to live, squad‑based training and has sent officers to multi‑day leadership and instructor courses. The chief also described operational pressures: overtime rose (723 hours in the quarter labeled "the crazy quarter"), officers covered special events like July 3 fireworks and the Jesse James Festival, and the department added a new school resource officer, Cameron Phillip.
The chief emphasized community policing efforts — outreach at Rotary, church safety training, coffee‑with‑the‑police ideas and senior safety programs — and said these activities, plus additional live training, are central to the department's strategy to improve responses and officer well‑being. Board members expressed appreciation for the department's work.
