10/14/26 Police Commission

The Fairfield Police Commission meeting on October 14, 2026, included discussion and votes on the Police Department’s automated license plate reader (ALPR) program, followed by a presentation of the department’s FY2028 budget request. The Chief described a five-year agreement with Axon, beginning January 15, 2026, replacing the department’s prior Flock Safety contract; the transcript cites an approximately $640,000 price tag for the contract rewrite. The proposed ALPR policy covers 54 fixed cameras, access and data-sharing limits, monthly audits, and a 21-day data-retention period under state law. The Commission voted to serve as the program’s civilian oversight body and approved the submitted ALPR policy. These were policy and oversight actions; no new vendor award was voted on.

The budget presentation requested $781,846 in increases—about 4% over FY2027—including four additional positions (two patrol officers, one patrol sergeant, and one school safety sergeant), with approximately $430,444 in first-year costs for those positions. Other cited pressures included vehicle maintenance and an aggregate $176,507 increase across overtime lines. The department also proposed directing approximately $400,000–$450,000 in year-end favorable balances into the outside-jobs fund to support vehicle costs; the budget requests and proposed reallocation were presented for consideration, with no budget vote recorded. The Commission also approved $140 in donations to the Fairfield Animal Shelter.