BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Broken Arrow City Council approved their city budget for fiscal year 2026.
The overall amount actually went down by a little over 3.5%.
One area of increase? Public safety. That funding increases to just over $153 million, representing a 4.5% rise. One thing not changing for now is the number of police officers for BAPD.
WATCH: Broken Arrow 2026 city budget includes public safety enhancements
"We're pretty happy with where our numbers are right now," Broken Arrow Chief of Police Lance Arnold said. "But we do know that Broken Arrow is a growing community, and we're going to need to add officers."
Arnold said they've over-hired officers in recent years, and the budget left the door open to increase numbers in the coming years, which could be important with attrition expected.
"Right now, 30% of our workforce on the sworn side are eligible to retire and immediately start benefits," Arnold said. "So, we always have to keep our eyes out for what that future looks like, and how we continue to fill that gap that may be there in the future."
The budget does bring back school resource officers for Broken Arrow Public Schools. Two officers will join the district security already at schools. The program returns after a couple years without officers on site.
"The big thing is they'll be able to make connections with the kids also, so they'll have somebody they trust," BAPS director of security Jeff Martin said. "It gives them somebody that they're willing to talk to."
Martin added that SROs' impact on campus extends beyond policing.
"It's not just the law enforcement end. It's creating those relationships, being those mentors," Martin said. "Just showing that they're really approachable."
Arnold says it was a popular position around the department.
"It certainly takes a special kind of officer who wants to be in that environment every day," Arnold said. But also, that can serve those multiple roles of that role model, that counselor, that coach and mentor, and also be able to do law enforcement and policing functions at the same time."
The plan would provide two SRO's to start, with the idea of increasing to four in a couple of years. The budget approved technology enhancements for the department as well.
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