On April 30 City Council held a budget worksession to discuss public safety expenditures, which constitute approximately two thirds of the city’s annual budget. Under discussion were budget requests from the Greenbelt Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad and the Greenbelt Police Department. Attending the worksession were Greenbelt Volunteer Fire Department and Rescue Squad President Greg Gigliotti and Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Lisa Ray. The Greenbelt Police Department (GPD) was represented by its five-member command staff, led by Chief Richard Bowers.
Fire Department
The Greenbelt Volunteer Fire Department (GVFD) continues to adapt to the significant changes brought about by the reassignment of career firefighters and EMTs last summer. Subsequently the city and GVFD brought a lawsuit against the Prince George’s County Fire Department; the lawsuit is pending, and no court date has been set. No county personnel are currently assigned to Greenbelt’s Engine Company 35 but the station does have 20 volunteer members. An Advanced Life Support (ALS) ambulance, an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) duty officer on 24-hour duty and a Basic Life Support (BLS) ambulance surge unit are stationed at the Greenbelt fire house. A BLS ambulance surge unit has the capability to respond to an increase in emergency calls.
The GVFD has approximately $750,000 in an account that the city holds. Much of that total is being saved for the impending retirement of Engine 352, a 2014 Pierce fire truck that is slated to be replaced in 2029 at an estimated cost of over $1 million. In addition, GVFD is currently requesting $80,000 for the replacement of the chief’s vehicle, a 2008 Ford. GVFD has a balance of $313,301 in its EMS billing account, which is used to maintain and fuel apparatus and to pay for insurance and additional equipment. This fund fluctuates and relies on reimbursements from the county. Ray reported that the GVFD has made progress on streamlining the reimbursement process. During the question-and-answer period, Ray stated that having an additional half-time position with a focus on marketing and recruitment would be especially helpful.
Police Department
The GPD requested $12,702,100, an 11.63 percent increase from FY 2025. Most of the increase is due to higher pay and benefits as stipulated in the most recent collective bargaining agreement, which aligned the department’s pay rates with comparable agencies. Bowers noted that keeping the department fully staffed was a recurring issue that has become more challenging over time, with other municipalities and federal agencies able to offer higher pay and a greater range of secondary assignments. Bowers did note that the GPD’s relatively small size had the benefit of providing a more close-knit work environment.
The department currently has four vacancies, and every year there are a handful of departures and new arrivals, a situation that Bowers likened to the transfer portal in college sports. Although the depletion of American Rescue Plan Act funding meant the elimination of a half position in the crisis-intervention team (CIT), Deputy Chief Tim White singled out the CIT work as “phenomenal,” praising the work of Rachel Tobin, LCSW, and Officer Michael Thomas. The CIT provides services not only to residents but also to members of the department, who are often in need of support because of the stressful nature of their jobs.
GPD’s request included two replacement vehicles after no vehicle replacements in 2025. 36 percent of the departmental fleet has over 100,000 miles, although the benchmark for replacement is not mileage but eight years in service. Greenbelt resident Michael Hartman asked both the GVFD and GPD whether new vehicles could be hybrid or electric and was told that these options were being investigated. In answer to another question by Hartman about training officers to handle encounters with disabled individuals, Bowers mentioned the recent acquisition of a virtual reality training set that allows officers to experience a situation from the perspective of a person with a disability, allowing for a greater degree of empathy and understanding. As a final note, Bowers reported that the renovations to the animal shelter had been completed and that it would be resuming operations in early May.
