Police and fire reports show operational strain; council discusses volunteers, payroll and training

The Crockett City Council heard March reports from the police and fire departments highlighting workload and staffing issues.

A police department representative reported the department had 16 officers totaling 2,552 hours in March, responded to 406 calls for service, investigated nine traffic accidents, made 46 arrests, and issued 473 traffic citations. The report noted 65 reports reviewed and 20 alarm calls, 15 of which were false alarms. Council members questioned whether vaping incidents were included with marijuana possession and asked for clarifications in future reports.

The fire department report raised concerns about declining volunteer numbers. A fire department representative said the department handled 43 calls (30 EMS), with no structure fires reported in a referenced period, but stressed “we just need more volunteers” and noted reliance on mutual aid for larger incidents. Council members asked for a payroll breakdown distinguishing city calls from county calls and requested the minimum staffing level needed for efficient operations. Staff said grant money is available to fund training (Fire Academy) and indicated they would bring more detailed payroll and staffing data to a future meeting.

Council thanked department personnel for their work and asked staff to supply additional breakdowns of overtime and call-related pay so the council can evaluate staffing and budget options going forward.