The village of Alexandria is considering making cuts to its reconstituted, 1.5-year-old police department after a series of failed tax levies impacted the budget.
The police department, currently staffed by 7 people, returned in early 2024 after a 12-year absence, though continued to struggle financially during the last 18 months.
Read more: The Village of Alexandria’s police department is back after a 12-year absence
Because voters rejected property and income levies, Alexandria Village Council is facing serious budget issues. The village council has some difficult decisions to make, so its upcoming meetings will focus on funding priorities. Village Council meetings are every first and third Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. of each month in the Village Offices.
At the June 17 village council meeting, members announced possible cuts to the previously expanded police department.
Council members discussed reducing the size of the police department to one full-time officer who would work a 40-hour week. They also said they would need a part-time officer, approved to work 20 hours a week as a backup, which is expensive in the context of current funding.
In 2024, the department grew from one person to seven part-time officers and one volunteer officer. There is not an officer on duty 24/7, and usually, there is just one officer working at any given time. Every officer has another full-time job, and they work at the department when they are available. Alexandria Police Chief Dan Bunting works at the department 60 hours per month.
After an attempt to increase the number of officers last year, the council is re-evaluating how to best balance resources to meet the community’s needs while also maintaining fiscal responsibility.
“We just can’t have the squad that Granville has,” said council member Carianne Meng, who also chairs the council’s public safety committee.
A concern for the council has been ensuring that police officers fulfill the required patrol hours.
Alexandria Mayor Sean Barnes told The Reporting Project that the village initially believed expanding the department would lead to better coverage. “Our responsibility to the community is to have as many patrol hours as possible,” he said.
Officers have struggled to meet their shifts due to scheduling conflicts with their primary jobs, leading the council to re-evaluate its staffing model.
“The goal for the community is to have a police presence during the busiest times of the day,” said Barnes.
The focus is on ensuring safety during morning and evening rush hours when traffic is heaviest, as well as at bus stops where children cross streets. “It’s just one of those situations where the community wants to feel safe,” he said.
While Alexandria is committed to having a police presence, there are tough decisions ahead regarding how to manage funds and resources.
“We need to make sure that we’re spending that money correctly,” Barnes said.
The police budget, Barnes said, was around $75,000 this year, but that was a reduction from funds available last year, when Barnes estimated the budget was closer to $90,000.
Police Chief Bunting and Barnes are planning to have a discussion for the future direction of the department. The goal is a more efficient structure so the Village can continue providing essential police services without compromising on infrastructure or other community needs.
“We’ve been trying to find that sweet spot,” Barnes said.
Katie Nader writes for TheReportingProject.org, the nonprofit news organization of Denison University’s Journalism program, which is supported by generous donations from readers. Sign up for The Reporting Project newsletter here.