Chief McMains, head of the Newton Police Department, told the Public Safety and Transportation Committee on May 1 that the department is budgeted for 49 sworn officers but currently has 40 on the payroll and ‘‘I think 7 officers, patrol officers who are out either injured or long term injury’’ on the roster. He said two sergeants also are out on disability and that the department expects five or six retirements over the coming year.

The chief said the department’s top budget outcomes include ‘‘community outreach, community policing’’ and improving recruiting, hiring and retention. He asked for a $15,000 community outreach line to support events such as National Night Out and the community police academy; the department ran a community academy last year with 11 residents and hopes to expand it this year. McMains also described a $162,000 weapons-related line in the budget to purchase tasers and a virtual-reality training system, and said the department must buy 100 tasers tied to bargaining outcomes.

McMains described current staffing pipeline numbers: two officers are scheduled to graduate from the police academy in June, another class will finish in mid-September, and additional academy classes are planned for the fall. He said the civil service eligibility list is small, with ‘‘12 residents on the list’’ under the city’s resident-preference rules, and that the department is discussing raising the department’s current age cutoff for applicants (noted in the meeting as 32) with the mayor and city council.

Committee members pressed on capital and technology items. Councilor Lucas asked for an update on a proposed police headquarters on Washington Street; Mr. Yeo (Chief Operating Officer) said design work is advanced but the full project would require a debt-exclusion override and still needs funding decisions. McMains said building improvements already completed include roof repairs, repaving at the station and a new fence.

On body-worn cameras, McMains said the department does not yet have cameras but ‘‘we have a pilot program agreement with the NPSOA’’ and, after a recent JLMC award, ‘‘sometime soon, probably after July 1, we will start a pilot program’’ using a small number of cameras to test systems before bargaining full implementation. He also said encryption and replacement of portable radios would be a separate, higher-cost project.

Councillors asked about other operating lines: Mr. Rosenfield explained that OPEB budgeting reflects the actual employees taking health insurance and can vary when employees change divisions; McMains said cruiser replacement is included in the budget at roughly $400,000. Councilors also discussed crossing-guard vacancies, and McMains said police officers currently fill five or six crossing posts per day when the civilian positions are unfilled.

The committee took a straw poll on the police operating budget total of $27,746,333; the chair reported six in favor, none opposed and no abstentions. The meeting record shows the committee moved on to fire department matters afterward.