Hawthorne police cite forensics accreditation, drone launches and recruitment goals in budget briefing

Chief Lane presented the Hawthorne Police Department’s 2025–26 accomplishments and laid out objectives for 2026–27, emphasizing a newly accredited forensics laboratory, expanded real-time crime center hours and a plan to expand drone launch sites and license-plate-reader coverage.

Chief Lane highlighted community outreach and training achievements and said the department had accreditations and technology improvements that could also generate contract revenue. "We are the first Police Department in the South Bay to have a nationally accredited forensics lab," Chief Lane said, noting the lab will enhance evidence processing for Hawthorne and neighboring agencies.

The chief also described operational steps tied to the budget: hiring and academy classes to replace retirements and vacancies, modest increases in overtime (some tied to FIFA 2026 event support and to be reimbursed by event hosts), replacement of aging license-plate-reader cameras and plans to extend drone response capability to targeted launch sites for faster incident response.

Why it matters: The police department accounts for a significant share of general-fund expenditures and the investments discussed—technology, accreditation, staffing and regional contract work—directly shape public-safety service levels and the city’s revenue opportunities from contract policing work.

What’s next: Councilmembers asked follow-up questions on staffing, accreditation capacity for outside contracts and how new technology affects report-writing and overtime; the department said it will bring more details to budget hearings.