Police chief outlines software savings, asks for three cruisers and starts long-term facility planning

Chief Eric Cerino presented the Police Department's CIP priorities, saying recent collaboration with other local agencies has produced a potential countywide software consortium that reduces an expected one-time capital hit. "We were able to start to look at a county wide consortium with a software vendor...the 1st 3 years are gonna be the same exact price that we pay now," he said, indicating the service package would likely remain near the department's current annual cost of about $31,000–$32,000 rather than requiring a $750,000–$1,000,000 upfront purchase.

Cerino also requested three police interceptor cruisers for the upcoming year. He outlined lifecycle management for patrol vehicles, said the department will continue to rotate and recycle vehicles to other town uses, and gave a 2026 price per cruiser of about $43,330 plus typical outfitting costs of $15,000–$20,000. "I'm gonna ask for the 3 police interceptor cruisers this year," he said, and explained that newer non-Tahoe interceptors have been more reliable than COVID-era vehicles that experienced recalls and early failures.

On facilities, Cerino summarized a needs assessment and said the department may require a new, modern facility of roughly 30,000–40,000 square feet to support current staffing and future growth. He said land constraints and infrastructure costs have complicated options and the board has directed an ad hoc committee to study potential sites; he cited a planning-level construction estimate near $35,000,000 and suggested community engagement and potentially a warrant article in later budget cycles to finance a project.

The committee asked follow-up questions on timing, accessibility, and shared uses with schools; Cerino said staff would work with the ad hoc committee and the select board to refine options and bring recommendations back to the town. No formal vote was taken on the police requests at the meeting.