Frequently Asked Questions

A 2023 staffing survey found that, at 63 sworn officers, the Sun Prairie Police Department has 6.79 fewer sworn officer positions than peer communities such as Fitchburg and Middleton. Despite recent increases in budget for staffing, referral bonuses, education incentives to attract officers and a formal lateral transfer program, it has been difficult to fill vacant SNPD positions.  

The City is experiencing the same police staffing challenges seen nationwide. And current staffing levels require a heavy reliance on overtime, which contributes to officer fatigue and creates challenges in retaining and attracting qualified personnel.  

An approved referendum would provide funds to hire an additional full-time patrol officer to support our existing staff, allowing us to reduce required overtime. With this investment, we would be able to better respond to the rising call volume for police services in Sun Prairie. 

Due to budget restraints, the Police Department has had to maintain the same, minimal staffing approach it has had in place since 2008. Insufficient staffing impacts the public safety services community members receive. For example:  

• Proactive services such as traffic engagement are delayed at times. 
• To manage increased call volumes, some service delivery methods may be reduced or eliminated – including adjustments to retail theft responses, animal service responses and a greater reliance on online reporting in place of in-person responses.   
• The inability to staff vacant District Liaison Officer positions has limited support for community engagement and collaboration, resulting in sharp decline in long-term problem-solving, pattern crime recognition and resolution, and drug enforcement. 

The addition of one patrol officer will allow us more capacity and improve our ability to serve the community. While not a complete solution to the challenges we face, it is a positive step forward in meeting the evolving public safety needs of Sun Prairie.  

As our community grows, so does the need for police services. We average 70 calls per day, and many of them are complex in nature. For example:  

• There has been a sharp increase in the number of mental health-related calls for service, including both voluntary and non-voluntary transports to a mental health facility or hospital.  
• Additionally, like many law enforcement agencies across the country, we are dealing with more complex cases that require digital evidence analysis for crimes against young children, cyber crimes and violent crime that requires more time spent on investigation.  

These calls take a considerable amount of time to respond to. And the amount of officer overtime needed to service our community leads to busier shifts, more calls and longer wait times in general. As our community has grown, the staffing model we’ve relied on for many years is no longer able to keep up with current demands.