New Canaan Police Ask for 5 Percent Budget Increase

New Canaan Police Department has requested a five percent increase for the fiscal year 2017 budget.

The New Canaan Advertiser reports that about 3.1 percent of the increase is due to wage increases in the new police union contract, according to Police Chief Leon Krolikowski. The budget was presented at a Jan. 11 Police Commission meeting.

The increase requested is more than $288,000. The current police budget is for $5,769,000.

Krolikowski said that the department isn’t asking for additional officers and that the math doesn’t support a cost savings compared to filling slots with overtime patrols. A new hire can cost between $150,000 and $200,000 a year when benefits are factored into play.

Read the full Advertiser story here.