Memo - 2006 Preliminary Budget
Chief of Police
Memorandum
To: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
Copy: Rick Getschow, City Manager
From: Chief C~ A Reid
Date: July 7, 2005
Re: 2006 Preliminary Budget Discussion
Staffing
I would like to re-institute one full-time Dispatcher position that was lost in 2003 due to the
cutbacks in Local Govemment Aid.
The leading organization in public safety communications issues, Association of Public
Safety Communications (APCO), developed a fonmula for calculating communications
center staffing (see attached). Following this formula, to adequately staff our dispatch center
and allow for leave benefits, we should have 8.5 employees; we currenUy have 5. Hopkins
has traditionally only had 5 dedicated dispatchers and has ongoing problems with staffing.
Although adding a sixth position does not meet the recommended number per APCO, it
would greatly relieve the problems we continue to face.
Current problems
. Leave benefits have denied due to staffing shortages
. Overtime costs exceeded budgeted amount (20,000) by $9827 = $29,827 in 2004
· Lead Dispatcher cannot adequately fulfill job description duties because of
dispatching full-time.
Starting salary $35,963 plus benefits
Equipment Requests
ComDuter/Cellular Dhone forensic eauioment
With the continued increase in financial crimes and pornography cases, the need for
computer forensics has exploded. There is a tremendous lag time if these cases are tumed
over to State or County agencies to retrieve evidence from suspect computers and cellular
phones. Hopkins Police received monies from the Hopkins Crime Prevention Fund to
purchase a new forensic computer and basic elements needed to investigate our own
cases. The equipment we are asking for will further enhance our ability to retrieve evidence
in a timely manner.
Budget $ 3600 for forensic software, training, laptop computer for field
forensics, and cell phone forensic equipment
Portable VARDA (radio remote buralarsvsteml
HPD has a VHF VARDA unit that has been used for several decades that worked with the
VHF radio system. The VARDA unit is a portable radio transmitted burglar alarm that can
be covertly installed in areas where repeated burglaries or thefts have occurred. Since the
upgrade to the 800 MHz radio system, this unit is no longer compatible.
Budget: $ 3500
TASER
Last year the Hopkins Crime Prevention Fund provided monies for the purchase of two
T ASERs. AT ASER is a less-Iethal, additional law enforcement tool that reduces the
likelihood of injury to officers, subjects, or others and is used to control and/or apprehend
dangerous or violent subjects when deadly force is not justified.
The request is for two additional T ASER units would allow all officers of a patrol team to
carry a unit rather than only two officers.
Budget: $1800
Intelliaence Database Software
Database software needed to document intelligence information gathered from the Drug
Task Force and officers.
Budget: $ 3000
ePage2
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A 365
B 8
C 2920
D 365
E 7
F 2555
G
:H
;,1
APCO STAFFING FORMULA
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FIXED
FIXED
FIXED
FIXED
FIXED
K
L
FINAL
8.49
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