The Fredonia Police Chief says the department’s budget has grown 25.2% over the last 13 years — an average of 1.96% per year.

Fredonia Police Chief David Price spoke out about the minimal costs the department has spent in keeping the department running at the Village Board workshop this week.

According to Price, in the last 13 years, the police budget has grown 25.2% — an average of 1.96% per year. That is well below the 3% average that has been recorded in the United States since 2013. Price said in the last eight budget cycles, the cost only rose 13.4% — a 1.67% increase per year.

“During last fiscal year, halfway through the budget, we were presented with a fiscal crisis on December 13,” Price said. “We had a special meeting because we needed to trim costs, we didn’t trim costs, but it was discussed. On February 21 I learned that $72,000 was removed from last year’s budget; that money was earmarked.”

Price went on to share that while he isn’t complaining, in 2024 the department went without training ammo, tires, Non Fred Fest overtime as according to him that money was taken.

“These were things that were supposed to be bought for the police, it just begs the question why and where did it go,” Price continued. “That’s not for me to answer, but that is what happened.”

Price also reminded the board that a sitting trustee stated at a meeting on February 5 that the police are down in officers, when in fact he is down two officers because historically they’re down one and the other is due to a hiring shortage.

“I do believe the police have been fiscally responsible under the constraints of the village,” Price added.

Citing various other agencies, Price conferred that communities the size of Fredonia and its population have on average seven-to-eight more officers.

“We’re getting the job done, but we’ve always been asked to do more with less,” Price noted. “And I’d like to point out that at the start of this fiscal year the Fredonia Police Department has zero debt for the public. That means we have not borrowed money, no money has been spent in the police department that has to be borrowed against, that itself explains why we’re driving cars with an excess of 100,000 miles and I have two in the parking lot that don’t run right now.”

Population demographics and the demands placed on the police have changed over the last several years affirm the stress of and on the members of the department.

“We serve the village from the basement of a 100-year-old building and operate vehicles beyond their expected use,” Price said. “We purchased items required for our job through grants over the last two years. We’ve bought computers, body cameras, radios, all the equipment that is necessary to do the job we’ve done with grant money; so we’ve relieved the taxpayers of even that burden.

“The police have minimized spending and worked within the budget parameters. The five-year drain on the budget reserves was not due to the police, the members of my police department are doing their part to control costs.”