Jamestown Police Chief Scott Forster shares budget information with Jamestown City Council (October 19, 2026)
It is the Jamestown Police Chief’s goal is to bring back special positions like a Nuisance officer, traffic officer, and more to the Police staff in 2027.
Chief Scott Forster, during budget presentations to Jamestown City Council, said the department currently has 55 officers. This is despite efforts to bring more staff on board to the budgeted number of 62 officers. Forster said there are multiple police academies being run in a year now which should provide a good number of potential officers as well as a new police civil service exam that was just administered, “Which, we have not had good lists in quite a long time. So, I imagine there’s going to be quite a few applicants that we will be able to hire. So, my goal for next year is to increase our numbers back to what they were before. And, in doing so, there’s certain things that we can do as a police department other than just our normal patrol functions. I’d like to add back a K-9 officer, potentially a Nuisance officer, DWI officer, Traffic officer.”
Forster said those positions had existed in the past when staffing levels were better.
Overall, Forster said there are just slight increases in JPD’s proposed budget for 2027 as compared to this year.
Acting Jamestown Fire Chief Ryan Rousch discusses budget with City Council (October 19, 2026)
Jamestown Fire Acting Chief Ryan Rousch said there are 65 firefighters on staff now with three retirements planned for 2027. He said once those retirements happen, the department will be down six of the eight SAFER grant positions. The SAFER Grant funding stops at the end of February. Rousch said the Department has to maintain 62 line positions until that point. After the grant ends, he said there will be 62 members on staff with 59 to man the firetrucks. American Rescue Plan Act funding also goes away at the end of December. That has been funding four firefighter positions. Rousch said that EMS revenue is being looked at as a way to sustain those positions.
City Department Budget presentations continue at 6:00 p.m., Monday, October 26 with presentations from the Department of Public Works, Parks Department, and Department of Development.
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