Police staffing
Chesapeake is short 41 police positions. At the same time, police activity rose from 126,621 in 2024 to 138,341 in 2025. That is about a 10% increase in one year. Fewer people doing more work is not a plan. It puts officers at risk.
Starting police pay
Norfolk starts officers $2,200 higher than Chesapeake after academy. Virginia Beach starts officers $2,734 higher than Chesapeake after academy. If we want to keep officers, we have to compete.
Educator pay
The same rule applies to schools. We cannot say we value teachers while letting nearby cities beat us on pay. Chesapeake should aim for #1 educator pay in the region so classrooms are staffed, stable, and serious.
The budget rule
Police officers and educators are not extras. They are core services. Their pay should come before expensive capital projects that make good photos but do not fix daily life for families.