Here’s summary of the memo from Chief Wray to the Mayor . . . warning, there is no end to the man’s audacity. It’s great to be held hostage by fear! (Yes, that was sarcasm.)
BUTT KISSING
The memo starts out with the required Mayoral butt kissing:
– Thank you for adding 56 of our 438 sworn police officers in the last 6 years.
– Thank you for allowing us to present a budget that takes projected increases in salaries and benefits for 2010 into account.
THE CHIEF’S DUTY
“As instructed by the Mayor, the Police Department has submitted a budget that provides for no staff increases or changes in programs. However, in spite of the difficult financial situations facing the City, I believe it is my responsibility to outline police service issues. Therefore, I have submitted supplemental requests, particularly to address staffing shortfalls that could impact service.”
THE PUNCHLINE . . .
– 8 – 21 patrol officers are needed. Number one priority is to ensure that patrol staffing levels remain consistent with the recommendations of the 2008 Etico Patrol Staffing Study. i.e. 8 – 21 more officers.
– 5 additional Detectives are needed. Also need Detectives. “Although the Etico Solutions Detective/Investigator staffing study is not yet completed, preliminary data supports the need for five additional Detective positions.”
– Additional Sergeants and Lieutenants are needed.
HOW COULD IT HAPPEN?
– Proposes civilian-izing six officers assigned to Court Services. 2 Records Services Clerks, 2 Clerk Typists and 2 bailiff positions. The two bailiff positions would be replaced with armed civilian security staff assigned to the Municipal Court. This would then provide six additional commissioned staff at shift change of 2010. Four of these positions would be assigned to patrol, one would be upgraded to Lieutenant, and one would be upgraded to Detective depending on patrol staffing levels in 2010. (I gotta admit, I’m confused about how this helps, my guess is we pay 6 people less, but we’re now paying 12 people instead, unless he’s cutting some of the 104 civilian positions?)
– They applied, but did not get, a COPS grant where they would said they would hire 6 officers in 2009, 7 in 2010 and 7 in 2011. City didn’t get that grant but still have those needs. So he’s requesting to add 7 police officers as a budget supplemental request contingent on getting the COPS grant. ‘As you know, when we received notification that COPS funding would not be provided from the Recovery Act funds, it was explained that the City’s application was not denied, but rather placed in a “pending” status. Additional COPS hiring funding will in all likelihood be included in the FY10 federal appropriations. Once the federal budget is finalized, the COPS office will be reviewing applications and awarding additional hiring grants, probably early in 2010. If an award is received, these officers would be hired in May 2010, and complete their training in time for solo assignment in February 2011. Although at least four of these positions would likely be assigned to patrol, there could be a need for up to three Detective positions and possibly a Sergeant position. However, those decisions would not be made until the budget process next year, and would be dependent upon the data from the Detective Staffing Study currently underway, as well as the updated 2009 data for patrol services.”
GRAND PLAN TO ADDRESS GANGS AND VIOLENT CRIME
– Add one officer to each district to provide district-specific crime prevention efforts including analysis of environmental design, as well as a comprehensive measurable problem-solving approach to gangs or other rising concerns. The officers would be located in the Districts, they would be responsible to a centrally assigned Sergeant in the Investigative Support section, including the Central Intelligence Services and Crime Analysts. The unit would be comprised of five Police Officers and one Sergeant. And, here it comes . . . wait for it . . . wait for it . . . “This proposal would require an additional four positions, one of which would be an upgrade to Sergeant, and purchasing four additional vehicles. The funding to upgrade one position to Sergeant would also have to be added to the budget.” This request is also contingent on COPS funding. But he adds “In all likelihood the offers to the hiring of these officers will need to be extended prior to the notification of the COPS funding award. Consequently, this supplemental proposal includes a request to overhire up to eleven positions.”
BUT WAIT, THERE IS MORE
As a result of the ETICO study, they are going to a 5-shift plan to have the officers work at the most “efficient” times. The five-shift plan adds two shifts to the traditional three patrol shifts (day, afternoon and night shift). Implementation of the five-shift plan would require eleven additional patrol-ready vehicles added to the fleet. They are in the process of acquiring these additional vehicles through JAG Recovery Act and FY09 funds, but he needs to have the council authorize the increase in the fleet.
UH-OH, WATCH OUT
Chief Wray adds “We are in the process of hiring a Grant Administrator funded with a Recovery Act grant.” Ummmm, and then what when the funding goes away? “I have requested funding to retain this Grant Administrator position when Recovery Act funds for the position are expended.”
NOT DONE YET!
“I believe in light of a very difficult budget year we need to continue to remind you and members of the Council that there are areas that continue to be either unfunded, or insufficiently funded. In particular, the lack of funding for the contract provision for commissioned personnel to convert vacation to pay continues to be a concern. In addition, at some point there will likely need to be consideration to add the funding for the Halloween event to the annual budget, rather than continuing to request mid-year appropriations via resolution.”
ARGHHHHH! TWO REASONS THIS MAKES MY HEAD HURT
I hope before anyone agrees to more police officers, they resolve the problem with the Etico study where they count the work of non-patrol officers in the work load and then don’t count all the officers that do the work in the calculations of what they have and what they need.
Additionally, I think all department heads should be invited to submit a similar memo, listing their real needs, so that the policing needs can be compared to the needs throughout the rest of the city. My guess is not many other department heads had the audacity to ask for increases to this extent, if at all, cuz remember, they were instructed to come up with 6% cuts.
