What happened
Council reviewed the $539,884 budget request for fiscal year 2025-26, which is 33% higher than the FY 2024-25 budget amount, during a July 28 meeting. However, it will not become official until the council passes the budget. Trophy Club’s fiscal year starts Oct. 1 and council has until Sept. 30 to approve the budget, which includes the CCPD.
According to town documents, the $430,181 of the total $539,884 is covered by sales tax, grant and interest revenue. The town will add $109,703 from the CCPD balance remaining from fiscal year 2024-25 to the new budget.
“Our recent ranking as the fourth-safest city in Texas [ranked by SafeWise] is not just a milestone, it’s proof that our proactive, data-driven approach is working,” Police Chief Patrick Arata said. “But maintaining this standard requires continued investment. The items outlined in this budget are not luxuries; they are necessities for sustaining and enhancing the level of service our community expects and deserves.”
The breakdown
A bulk of the CCPD budget increase comes from hiring a new officer, two new vehicles and the introduction of a drone program.
The two drones for the drone program will cost $30,000 and will to support patrol, situational awareness and search and rescue operations. Arata said the town and each officer who signs up for the drone program will need to get a Federal Aviation Administration license.
“If somebody's missing or lost, or if we're looking for somebody, we would deploy the drone,” Arata said. He added thermal imaging and night vision will be part of the drones, which could help locate individuals.
Arata also said hiring a new police officer cadet, which will cost $110,411, will help ensure the department remains fully staffed. He added the move would take almost a year, between six months in the police academy and another four or five months for training.
The two new police vehicles will cost $60,000 each and will replace aging vehicles, according to city documents.
A closer look
Part of the budget includes $31,566 for overtime pay related to staffing needs of school resource officers at Bryon Nelson High School and Medlin Middle School. Trophy Club Police Department SROs had 204 tips received during the 2024-25 school year, according to city documents. The top three categories were:
- Vape-related incidents: 69
- Drug-related tips: 47, including marijuana, powder and pills
- Bullying/harassment: 37
The town is entering its third year of its contract with Flock Safety for its automated license plate recognition reader.
Trophy Club documents show in a six-month performance review ending Jan. 1, the cameras generated 607 alerts. That led to nine arrests and 49 investigative searches, according to city documents.
Arata said part of the proposed budget will be used to install two outbound-facing cameras at Trophy Lake Drive and Bobcat Boulevard.
