TO: Mayor
FROM: Sean Kearney, Chief of Police
DATE: December 8, 2018
SUBJECT: Any Town Police Department-Proposed Budget FY 2018-2019
Executive Summary
After careful consideration of Departmental priorities, this document is submitted as the
Any Town Police Department’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2018-2019. At this juncture,
staffing issues, crime reduction, and community policing have been identified as in need of
significant attention, and the Police Department is prepared to make every effort to accomplish
these goals. For Fiscal Year 2018-2019, the Any Town Police Department has been allocated
$11,000,000 for its annual budget, and this proposed budget is on target for that amount.
Projected costs are categorized into three categories: Personnel, Operations, and Capital Outlay.
Personnel expenses of slightly over $8 million will man the Department which consists
of 95 personnel assigned to Administration, Patrol, Investigations, and Support Staff. As is
typical in public agencies, personnel costs for salaries and benefit packages account for over 73
percent of the total budget. No staffing cuts or reclassifications are proposed at this time.
Operational costs of approximately $1.8 million will allow the Department to accomplish
its continuing mission of public safety. Replacement of expendable supplies, uniforms, and
equipment, training, and overtime costs are also budgeted in this category. The sum of $1.5
TO: Mayor
Page 2
million has been set aside for recruiting sufficient officers to account for anticipated attrition as
well as to add an additional 10 officers for an end-strength goal of 105 personnel.
Through technology and other capital expenditures of over $1.1 million, a 5 percent
reduction in overall crime is anticipated. Augmented training, as well as targeted operations and
projects, will improve community outreach and trust, attack gang and violent crime, and expand
our crime prevention efforts.
Additionally, a grant opportunity of $300,000 will be utilized to replace the antiquated
dispatch and records system which will further enhance operations.
Below are overview tables of the proposed FY 2018-2019 Any Town Police Department
budget:
PERCENT (ROUNDED)
$8,070,000 73.4
PERSONNEL
$1,821,200 16.6
OPERATIONS
$1,108,800 10.1
CAPITAL OUTLAY
$11,000,000 100.0
TOTAL
95
FULL TIME PERSONNEL
GRANT FUNDING (DISPATCH/
($300,000)
RECORDS)
TO: Mayor
Page 3
FY 18-19 Any Town Police Department
Proposed Budget
CAPITAL OUTLAY
10%
OPERATIONS
17%
PERSONNEL
73%
Departmental Priorities FY 2018-2019
As previously mentioned, the Department has several priorities for the upcoming fiscal
year as directed by the Mayor and City Council, and has formulated responses and budget
strategies as follows:
• Increases in crime (gang shootings, robberies, and burglaries) have left the community
and City leadership feeling unsafe. Creation of a Crime Suppression Team will target
violent and repeat offenders using all available means including new technology. A
combination of equipment, overtime, and changes in personnel assignments will be used
to accomplish this goal. A K9 Unit will be created, allowing coverage on all patrol shifts.
• Staffing issues (recruiting and retention in anticipation of expected attrition). A recruiting
effort using $1.5 million in funding will be undertaken to hire 20 officers. This will
reduce response times in cases of emergency and non-emergency calls for service.
• Increased transparency, public trust, and community outreach. The Department will
institute a Body Worn Camera (BWC) program in order to document police contacts and
uses of force. We will also deploy less lethal weaponry to allow for more force options,
TO: Mayor
Page 4
hold community outreach events, and designate a Community Liaison Officer to increase
the flow of information between the Department and the public.
• Detail at least one School Resource Officer (SRO) to the public schools to educate youth
regarding gangs, drugs, and violence. We will begin discussions with the school district
regarding future funding options for the SRO program.
• Train the Department’s Crime Analyst on the latest Intelligence Led Policing (ILP)
concepts and acquire a modern crime mapping platform costing $300,000. This will
allow the Department to deploy resources in areas requiring more attention.
These measures will collectively reduce crime by 5 percent or more, increase public trust, and
accomplish the priority requirements of the Department and the City of Any Town.
Personnel
The below table depicts the number and cost of each of the Department’s functional areas
of Administration, Patrol, Investigations, and Support Staff. Personnel costs include salary and
benefits. Personnel considerations at this time reflect a need to increase staffing in response to
an increase in serious crime, concerns about response times, and the need to create several
special assignment positions and teams to reflect newly identified Departmental needs. At the
same time, normal attrition makes net staffing increases difficult. The Department intends to
increase total strength by 10 sworn officers by the end of FY 2019. Currently there are 60
personnel assigned to Patrol, and as many as 15 could be assigned elsewhere as specialty teams
and assignments are created.
ADMINISTRATION (4 personnel)
$575,000
PATROL (60 personnel) $5,280,000
INVESTIGATIONS (12 personnel) $1,080,000
TO: Mayor
Page 5
SUPPORT STAFF (19 personnel) $1,135,000
TOTAL (95 personnel) $8,070,000
Operations
Operational expenses keep the Department running on a day-to-day basis, and account
for the costs of replacing expendable equipment and supplies. Several items are required at this
time due to mandatory replacement, contractual obligation, or direction from City staff:
• Vest replacements-76 vests are required as per the normal 5-year replacement cycle.
Cost $76,000.
• Uniform allowance-76 uniformed officers require an annual uniform allowance. Cost
$76,000.
• Recruiting/ Advertising costs for 20 police officers-net anticipated gain of 10 officers
after attrition; previously discussed in Departmental Priorities. Cost $1.5 million.
• Ammunition-Cost $20,000.
These items are necessary for Departmental operations and goals:
• Safety equipment-these items consist of gloves and other personal protective equipment.
Cost $10,000.
• Office supplies-Cost $5,000.
• Training-in addition to normally required officer training, the Department is embarking
on several new programs and capabilities. A new K9 unit, the Crime Suppression Team,
SROs, gang education, additional training for the Crime Analyst in Crime Mapping,
BWCs, less-lethal weaponry, facial recognition, recruiting, and other programs will
require significant training with associated increased costs. We are requesting an
additional $10,000 over the previous FY for a total training budget of $40,000.
• Overtime-at present, the Department is understaffed. Maintaining officer and citizen
safety is the highest priority and may require overtime to fulfill minimum staffing.
Additionally, several new programs are being proposed which may be accomplished as
TO: Mayor
Page 6
full-time assignments or collateral duties using existing personnel. As a result, these
officers will no longer be available for their previous duties and will require overtime for
backfill. A designated budget for overtime costs will account for these anticipated
expenses. At this time, the recommended amount is $94,200.
The proposed amounts are summarized in the table below:
Vest Replacements (76 at $1,000 each) $76,000
Uniform Allowance (76 at @$1,000 each) $76,000
Recruiting/ Advertising for 20 new officers $1,500,000
Ammunition $20,000
Safety Equipment $10,000
Office Supplies $5,000
Training $40,000
Overtime $94,200
TOTAL OPERATIONAL COSTS $1,821,200
Capital Expenses
As the Department and community work together to enhance public safety, there are a
number of proposed capital expenditures that become necessary in the pursuit of that goal.
Advances in technology have brought newly effective products to the law enforcement market
which deserve consideration here in Any Town, as follows:
• BWC- in order to increase transparency and accountability, the Department would
begin a Body Worn Camera (BWC) program. The costs would account for a
BWC for all sworn staff including newly hired personnel (96 in total) as well as
data storage costs. The unit cost is $800 per camera for a total of $76,800 with
accompanying training costs.
• Less Lethal Weaponry-this will allow officers to choose from additional less
lethal options such as beanbag shotguns, in the hopes of reducing uses of force
including deadly force. Cost will be $200,000 with accompanying training costs.
TO: Mayor
Page 7
• K9 Unit-establishing a K9 unit with 4 dogs will allow for coverage on each patrol
shift. K9s are an effective crimefighting tool for violent, gang, and property
crimes, missing persons, drug investigations, and other calls. K9s can also be
used to increase community outreach. Total proposed cost is $32,000 with
accompanying training costs.
• License Plate Readers (LPR)-this technology has proven to be most effective in
reducing crime rates in many jurisdictions. LPR technology can be used for a
variety of call types, from missing persons to homicides. The movements of
violent and repeat offenders can be more effectively tracked, in conjunction with
other Department initiatives. A City-wide LPR system will cost $300,000.
• Crime Mapping-as the Department pursues Intelligence Led Policing, our Crime
Analyst can use this capability to point us in the correct direction as we attempt to
predict criminal activity. Being in the right place at the right time will allow for a
more effective response to crime in our community. Cost-$300,000 with
accompanying training costs.
• Facial Recognition-acquisition of 10 handheld devices at $1,000 each will
enhance the ability of Patrol and other units to identify suspects and secure
convictions. Cost-$10,000 with accompanying training costs.
Other options such as Smart Lights/ Shot Spotters, GPS Trackers, and a drone program were
considered. However, their efficacy without further study in Any Town is in question at this
time, and their costs are significant. Ongoing consideration of these and other technologies will
occur as we develop better ILP data pertaining to crime patterns.
Additionally, regular replacement of aging Departmental vehicles has become a priority and
will be addressed in this budget cycle.
• At this time, the Department’s patrol vehicles are aging. A management plan to fully
utilize existing vehicles including the older Crown Victorias will be executed, and 5 new
Ford Explorer SUVs are proposed to begin a regular vehicle replacement plan. Proposed
cost is $190,000.
Finally, the Department’s antiquated dispatch and records management system is in dire need
of replacement.
TO: Mayor
Page 8
• A grant opportunity will be utilized to fully fund a replacement system compatible with
ILP, information sharing, and interoperability standards. The Department will assign
personnel to write and manage this grant. Cost for the system is $300,000.
The proposed amounts are summarized in the table below:
BWC (96 at $800 each) $76,800
Less Lethal Weaponry $200,000
K9 Unit (4 dogs) $32,000
LPR System $300,000
Crime Mapping $300,000
Facial Recognition (10 units at $1,000 each) $10,000
Vehicles (5 units at $38,000 each) $190,000
Dispatch/ Records Management System ($300,000-Grant Funded)
TOTAL CAPITAL OUTLAY $1,108,800
Accounting Method
At this time, the existing Line Item method of accounting should be used to track
expenditures for the sake of simplicity and consistency with City budgeting. ZBB and/ or
Performance Based Budgeting would be inappropriate to implement Department-wide due to the
dynamic nature of public safety agencies’ operations, impracticality of effort, and/ or the
difficulties in measuring success in law enforcement.
Due to the creation of several new programs, training and overtime expenditures will
require careful monitoring, and further analysis will be necessary to properly attribute expenses
TO: Mayor
Page 9
to the appropriate program(s). In the coming years, it may be possible to incorporate Zero Based
Budgeting (ZBB) in certain areas as expenses become more predictable. As an example, the K9
Unit’s expenses, after a period of tracking, should be relatively consistent from year to year,
assuming that nothing untoward and unanticipated happens to the dogs. ZBB could then be used
after developing accurate local data.
Conclusion
As the Any Town Police Department enters the new fiscal year, it faces exciting
challenges. Reducing crime, increasing community satisfaction, and embracing technology
while managing public funds wisely and planning for the future are responsibilities incumbent
upon every member of this Department. At the end of FY19, we believe that success will be
measured by a lower crime rate, increased quality and quantity of community engagement in our
City, achievement of staffing goals, and use of new equipment and capabilities while
maintaining budgetary responsibility.
TO: Mayor
Page 10
References
LEPS 590 Presentation 7 (2018). Retrieved from USD Blackboard.
