Chief Klinger told committee members on April 25 that the police budget contains recurring operational costs and capital items that will need line‑item clarification before the final budget.

Klinger emphasized the department’s accreditation obligations under a St. Louis County statute, saying accreditation expenses pay for the application and confirmation process and cannot be postponed because the department is required to maintain accreditation. He described training, professional-development and range-membership costs tied to minimum training requirements and potential expanded capabilities, including discussions about a regional range membership.

The department’s radio system was a frequent topic. Klinger said the department has upgraded to a digital, encoded radio network that gives broader statewide interoperability and represents the direction many agencies are taking; reverting to an older system would require re-upgrade later and could cost “a couple $100,000.” He said officers out of patrol vehicles may face coverage issues on older systems and explained that the current system provides advantages for statewide communications on the right channels.

On equipment, Klinger said the department’s body-camera lease is coming due and staff are still evaluating options: either renew the current system under a new lease or transition to a different, more integrated vendor platform. Vehicle line items were discussed with committee members who requested the vehicle cost from the dealer be shown as one line and vehicle outfitting (cages, radios, equipment installs) as a separate line to avoid past confusion.

Klinger described “small equipment replacement” line items that have varied annually, and he suggested breaking out recurring items such as vests, vest replacement cycles (five-year expirations), vehicle gear and specialized equipment to increase clarity. He also discussed a priority line for range improvements that could improve training and, if upgraded, could generate revenue from other agencies using the facility.

Committee members requested clearer breakdowns on what items are capital versus expense and asked for follow-up to reconcile entries such as outdoor warning siren maintenance, small-equipment categories and body-camera lease versus purchase options.