Neighborhood Safety Message from the Mayor

Neighbors,

Please read Mayor Barrett’s alert regarding two amendments to the proposed city budget that would cut police service.  The MHNA Board sent a statement to Alderman Kovak in support of the Mayor’s original budget proposal and urging the rejection of the two amendments; however we recommend you also voice your opinion as residents and stakeholders in our neighborhood.

-MHNA Board

 

From: Mayor Tom Barrett
Sent: Wednesday, November 05, 2014 4:48 PM
Subject: Neighborhood Safety Wednesday Update
Importance: High 

Dear Resident:

My 2015 Proposed Budget includes funding for deploying 85 police officers and achieving an average annual strength of 1,880 sworn Police Officers. The strength level is an increase of 12 officers from the 2014 budget, when the average annual strength was 1,868, and is the highest budgeted average sworn strength since 2012.

On Friday October 31st, the Common Council’s Finance and Personnel Committee passed not one but two amendments that will impact police deployment. The Committee not only voted to cut these 12 additional police officers but also voted to cut $1.2 million in police overtime.

The police department uses overtime to enhance their summer deployments, which is typically the busiest time of the year. This cut is the equivalent of eliminating an additional 15 police officers during summer deployments and comes at a time when the Chief has brought his overtime budget down from $14.5 million in 2008 to $12.5 million in 2014; the amount he has budgeted for 2015.

Combined, the Finance and Personnel Committee has supported two amendments that would take 27 officers off our streets; 12 new hires and the deployment of an additional 15.

And while it is true that the Finance Committee kept funding for 73 officers in 2015, I prefer to budget in anticipation of police retirements and not in response to retirements and I’d like to stabilize overtime accounts rather than experience annual swings. In short, I’d like to be a head of the curve going into the 2016 budget cycle.

Please call or email your Common Council member, or all members, and tell them to reject the amendments to cut 12 additional police recruits and police overtime before 9 am on Friday, November 7th. Please forward my request to your friends and neighbors.

I thank you in advance for your help.

Sincerely,

Tom Barrett

Mayor

Common Council City Clerk Office Phone Number: 414-286-2221