Jet skis are out and and a new mindset is in at the Wareham Police Department. Interim Police Chief Kevin Walsh says that, since his tenure started on Nov. 29, the theme of police spending has become “back to basics.”

“We realize at the Police Department that big spending is over,” Walsh said before the town Finance Committee Thursday, Jan. 16.

Walsh met with Town Administrator Derek Sullivan and the Finance Committee — as did the heads of all other municipal departments — to discuss the fiscal year 2015 budget.

Walsh started with spending cuts. He said the department’s Jet Skis have been returned to Greater Boston Motor Sports, the traffic unit has been eliminated, the overtime use of department ATVs has ended, the motorcycle patrol is on hold, and he hopes the substation in Onset will no longer be manned with overtime officers, but instead by seasonal officers with a patrolman in charge. He also said all non-mandatory training has been stopped until at least July 1.

“That stuff adds up,” Walsh said.

He said those cuts would weaken the department, but added, “We’ll never be weakened to the point that the citizens of Wareham will suffer.”

While cuts need to be made, both Walsh and Sullivan agreed money needed to be spent to hire new officers — a move which would cut down overtime costs.

Sullivan said one of the things the Police Department was asking for in the budget was the money to send people to the police academy.

“We’re down on manpower right now. We’re down six people and probably a seventh on the way who is probably going to be hired by the FBI,” Walsh said.

In 2013, the Wareham Police Department made 1,528 arrests and received 52,504 calls for service, which ranged anywhere from noise complaints to murder.

“We’re the busiest town south of Brockton,” Walsh said. “We’re known as ‘Brockton with trees.’”

Walsh and Lieutenant John Walcek, who was also at the meeting, spoke about grant money the department receives.

“We attend every possible grant meeting with the commonwealth we can, so the Wareham Police Department is out there on the forefront trying to grab those dollars,” Walcek said.

They said programs such as 911 dispatching, “click-it or ticket” and underage drinking patrols are funded by grants.

“We’re gonna operate within our means,” Walsh said. “We have a reputation of being spenders. That’s ending.”