The lack of police officers has been an ongoing issue in the city’s police department for a long time, but a resolution up for approval at tonight’s voting session looks to help that number a bit.

A resolution under new business for the city council’s voting session asks to suspend the hiring freeze enacted in 2002 in order to hire five new police officers for the department. According to the agenda there are currently several vacancies in the department, and maintaining police department staffing levels is important to protect the citizens of Jamestown.

Total fiscal impact to hire an officer is $63,599.39, and these positions have been budgeted for in the 2026 Budget.

“Chief Jackson requests that the City Council lift the hiring freeze in order to fill the police officer vacancies,” the memorandum attached to the request states.

Vacancies in the department were raised during a November City Council meeting by Jeff Russell, a former council member and former chairman of the council’s Public Safety Committee.

Russell said at the time the department was down to 57 officers – eight short of its full staffing level of 65 officers, That leads to longer times responding to calls, while Russell referred to the department’s staffing level as being “downright scary” and unsafe. Russell said he expects staffing to continue to be a problem.

“I guess the question I have is, where does it end?” Russell said. “What is the number of cops, is it 50, is it 55 until we get to where we can’t provide the basic services that our citizens are paying for?”

Also up for approval tonight is the paying of multiple public improvement bonds, police officer training, a change order, and the approval of a loan for Jade Empire LLC. The loan was approved by the Jamestown Local Development Corporation during their latest meeting, and now follows the process to be approved by City Council as the loan amount is over $100,000. The loan for Jade Empire LLC is for $350,000, as part of a $2,238,198 project to renovate the building known as Prendergast Landing on Fairmount Avenue. The loan was approved by the JLDC at a fixed rate of four percent over 10 years.

The city council voting session begins at 7:30 p.m. in the city council chambers on the second floor of city hall.