Orem police chief: two officers requested to relieve staffing strain, not because of rising call volume

Police Chief BJ Robinson told the Orem City Council during an Aug. 27 Truth-in-Taxation hearing that the department's request for funding to add two sworn officers is driven by operational strain and increased complexity of calls, not an overall rise in call volume.

"While this perspective is understandable, our request for tax increase to support 2 additional officers was never based on an increase in calls for service," Robinson said, adding that the department is seeing more time-consuming cases — domestic violence, sexual-assault and mental-health incidents — that require extended officer time and documentation. He warned that relying on forced overtime is “not sustainable” and described a succession and training lag that keeps available staffing lower than authorized positions.

Council members pressed Robinson on how many officers would be needed to reach a comfortable staffing level; the chief replied that 13 additional officers would approach a steadier staffing posture, but that hiring large cohorts strains training capacity. The chief said federal COP grants that previously funded several officers have expired, increasing budget unpredictability and motivating the request for a stable, dedicated funding source.