Brian Griffin, chief of police, briefed the Financial Planning Committee on the department’s accomplishments, staffing, and capital requests for FY2026 and beyond.

Griffin said the department is currently fully staffed and highlighted community programs, accreditation, and training. On capital the chief requested three vehicles for FY2026 (two patrol‑grade Ford Police Interceptor Utilities and one administrative/detective vehicle) and sought funding to implement a body‑worn camera program. He described a proposed five‑year startup purchase of 24 cameras and associated cloud storage and software, giving a total initial acquisition estimate of roughly $113,000 and saying the department received a state grant of about $48,000 toward the purchase; he said the remaining balance would be $65,000 and would be requested at town meeting.

Griffin said departments across the region have adopted body cameras and that officers in Northborough are supportive; he noted the operational and administrative costs associated with cloud storage and public-records processing, which the department expects to be an ongoing operating expense after the initial acquisition and any grant funding. He said typical battery life for the selected model is roughly 12–16 hours, and that each uniformed officer would be assigned a camera subject to collective-bargaining discussions.

On communications, Griffin said the town received $25,000 in ARPA funds for a multi-agency communications study (police, fire, DPW, schools) and that the study is nearly complete. He said the study’s recommendations could affect FY27 capital requests for radio upgrades, dispatch-center improvements and related interoperability work.

Other FY27–FY29 items discussed included a communications/dispatch center upgrade, replacement of multi-band portable radios to enable mutual‑aid interoperability, taser replacement (manufacturer advises a replacement cycle), and modest building security upgrades. The chief noted trade-in values for used police vehicles are generally low and that a multi-year replacement schedule has helped maintain a reliable fleet.

Why it matters: Body-worn cameras and communications upgrades have implications for transparency, officer safety and interoperability with neighboring agencies; they also carry recurring storage and records-management costs. Committee members discussed phasing and options for pushing a vehicle purchase from FY26 to FY27 to balance short‑term budget constraints; the committee did not take a vote during the presentation.