I. RECOMMENDATION:
Police Department requests councils permission to hire 2 additional paid reserve police officers and 4 non-paid reserve police officers.
II. BACKGROUND:
On January 17, 2013 the council approved 12 reserve police officer positions for the police department and since that time due to budgetary issues the police departments reserve program has been reduced to 2 part-time reserve officers.
III. DISCUSSION:
With recent cuts to full time police department personnel, the department's police officers and support staff are working extra days and longer hours if required. The department's secretary's are now working as dispatchers and still having to do their required jobs to help keep the department operating. The department has hired and sworn in at the last council meeting 2 new full-time Public Safety Dispatchers that are currently in training which will take approximately 4 month to complete and Officer Henderson as a reserve police officer who will be reclassified as a full-time police officer on July 1, 2019.
With the additional reserve officers, it would allow me to cover shifts better and allow full-time officer to take some much needed time off. It would also allow the police department the staffing to further investigate crime and conduct search warrant operations and some specialized enforcement.
The hourly rate for a Reserve Officer is $11.24 to $14.34 which is a substantial savings over the cost of a full time officer. The Reserve Officer will supplement the patrol force in the City and work special assignments. If approved our goal is to have these positions filled as soon as possible.
With the City’s current policy, the Reserve Officers are not compensated until they successfully pass the Field Training Program, which is 4 months long.
IV. ALTERNATIVES:
Council may elect not to authorize the additional positions.
V. FISCAL IMPACT:
The funding for these positions would come from the department's 101-413-6002 account. The impact to the general fund would be approximately $10,071.04 for fiscal year 2019/2020. By the time these positions are hired and they successfully complete the FTO program, there would be 7 months left in the fiscal year.
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