Wauwatosa police administrators plan to offer $2,500 signing bonuses to new officer recruits as part of the department’s budget strategies for 2027, as outlined in the city’s draft Executive Budget and presented on Oct. 6 to the Common Council’s Financial Affairs Committee.
The police department has been budgeted for 100 sworn offices for the past two years, but its recruitment has struggled to keep up with the number of officers leaving the department. In addition, training time, medical leave and other absences have meant the department typically operates at a capacity of about 75% “active and deployable” officers.
“We will never get to 100%. There are always people away,” Deputy Chief Luke Vetter told the committee. “But the closer we can close that gap to zero [the] better.”
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The department’s budget was presented to the committee by Vetter and Chief James MacGillis. Video of the meeting can be viewed here. The police budget proposal is one component of a 211-page draft citywide budget for next year that is making its way toward approval by the full Common Council on Nov. 17.
The Executive Budget is the draft submitted by the mayor and city administrator for the council’s consideration. The full document can be found here, and the police department proposal starts on the page numbered 40.
The Financial Affairs Committee is scheduled to discuss different department budgets at its Tuesday evening meetings this month at City Hall and on Zoom before voting on amendments and recommending a final draft to the council. A public hearing is scheduled for Nov. 10, one week before final approval.