06/23/2026
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 23rd, 2026
Contact: Chief Lee Miller
Lincoln Police Department
Email: [email protected]
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Lincoln Police Department 2027 Budget Statement
I have received several questions from the media and citizens regarding the Lincoln Town Council's adoption of the police department budget. While I respect the difficult decisions involved in the budget process, I would be less than candid if I did not acknowledge that reducing the department's funding by several hundred thousand dollars from its previous level will present significant challenges in the year ahead.
When I became Chief of the Lincoln Police Department, my goal was simple: to build a police department that our officers were proud to work for and our community could rely on. Through the hard work and dedication of our staff, along with the support of many residents and town officials, we have made significant progress. We have improved training, upgraded equipment and technology, strengthened accountability, and worked hard to build a professional department focused on public safety and serving the people of Lincoln.
I am incredibly proud of the men and women of this department and what they have accomplished over that short time. They have embraced change, worked hard to improve the organization, and remained committed to serving this community.
Budget reductions of this magnitude do not happen on paper alone. They affect staffing, training opportunities, supervision, equipment replacement, officer safety, and the level of service we can provide to the community. While I am hopeful, we can avoid reducing our current staffing levels, vacant positions will likely remain unfilled for the foreseeable future. This places additional demands on the officers we have and makes it more difficult to continue the progress we have worked so hard to achieve.
One of the most important investments any police department can make is in its people. Well-trained, properly equipped, and adequately staffed officers are better able to serve the public safely and effectively. Maintaining those standards is critical not only for officer safety, but also for the quality of service our community expects and deserves.
The most expensive police department is not necessarily the one that is properly funded. The most expensive police department is one that experiences preventable injuries, excessive turnover, avoidable liability, and operational failures because it lacked the resources necessary to succeed.
While this budget presents significant challenges, our commitment to the citizens of Lincoln remains unchanged. Our officers will continue to show up every day, answer calls for service, investigate crimes, assist those in crisis, and do everything possible to keep this community safe. We will continue moving forward with the resources available to us.