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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05/09/2023 04. Yakima Police Department Budget Presentation 17s- .1,;\ `1-`ti 5 74'1 BUSINESS OF THE CITY COUNCIL YAKIMA, WASHINGTON AGENDA STATEMENT Item No. 4. For Meeting of: May 9, 2023 ITEM TITLE: Yakima Police Department Budget Presentation SUBMITTED BY: Matt Murray, Chief of Police SUMMARY EXPLANATION: The Yakima Police Department is presenting on budget reductions. ITEM BUDGETED: NA STRATEGIC PRIORITY: NA APPROVED FOR SUBMITTAL BY THE CITY MANAGER RECOMMENDATION: ATTACHMENTS: Description Upload Date Type Budget Presentation 5/2/2023 Presentation D Budget Presentation Document 5/4/2023 Backup Material Yakima Police Department Budget Reduction Proposal Services Provided by YPD • The Yakima Police Department (YPD) is a full-service law enforcement agency. This means that it operates in a similar fashion to most mid- sized police departments in America. Patrol officers respond to calls for service, detectives investigate serious criminal events, and officers enforce traffic regulations and investigate traffic collisions. In addition to the sworn police functions, the Yakima Police Department operates a city jail (Corrections Division) and operates a Services Division to maintain records and provide information to the public. The Mission of the Yakima Police Department • The members of the Yakima Police Department will partner with the community to reduce violent crime, while always providing exceptional customer service. YPD and the General Fund Budget • The Yakima Police Department is allotted 44.46% of the City's biennial budget • Personnel costs (salary and benefits) represent 83. 73% of YPD's bi- annual budget Staffing at YPD • The Yakima Police Department is budgeted for 143 sworn police officers (including command staff). The actual number of sworn police officers has been near or below 130 since Chief Murray's appointment in 2019. This equates to a ratio of 1.47 officers per 1,000 community members. The State of Washington ranks 515t in the United States (this includes Washington DC) with 1.38 commissioned officers per 1,000 population. With the proposed staffing reductions in this proposal the ratio for Yakima would be 1.31 (Yakima is currently at 121 Officers for a ratio of 1.25). • The budgeted non-commissioned staff is 34 • The budgeted commissioned correction officer staff is 15 The Yakima Police Department is Efficient and Effective • Since the Focused Deterrence Model (from the book "Don't Shoot") was fully implemented in 2020, there has been a 24% reduction in non fatal shootings in Yakima. • The State average for aggravated assaults rose 15.4%from 2020 to 2021 — but Yakima showed a 17.4% decrease fora difference of 32.8%. • The Washington State average for robbery rose 10%from 2020 to 2021 — but Yakima showed a 29.4% decrease for a difference of 39.4%. • Yakima saw a 50% reduction in forgery cases and a 33.3% reduction in fraud between 2020 and 2021. There was an overall crime reduction of 8.8% in Yakima. • The YPD Property Crimes Unit began weekly proactive anti-retail theft operations in rnid- 2022. The data is promising as reported shoplifting cases are down 34.5%. • Traffic fatalities have been at all-time highs for two years in a row. However, a renewed emphasis on traffic enforcement has resulted in a 177% increase in traffic stops. YPD has also received a tentative commitment from the Washington State Trif f c Commission to fund a full-time DUI enforcement position (and to purchase a vehicleWe are awaiting final approval from the Commission (there is no future funding obligation — this will in essence reimburse Yakima for one patrol position). • Federal indictments have increased 70% in the past two years as we have developed a close relationship to combat gang and domestic violence. The Economic Reality • At the end of fiscal year 2022, revenues were insufficient to cover expenses (2.4 million short) • Operating costs are increasing at a faster pace than revenues • Continues years of inadequate revenues to provide services to the Yakima community will cause further structural imbalance to the General Fund • The City must balance the budget by state law • The City Manager must begin developing a plan to ensure the budget (expenses) is reduced to meet revenue The City Manager's Direction • All city departments must identify significant reductions to reach a goal of 7.2 million dollars • Some cuts will be immediate while others will be phased in over time • The City Manager does not support reducing salaries or mandating furloughs • Reductions of this size will clearly impact the services the City currently provides Yakima Police and the City Budget • The Yakima Police Department is allotted 44.46% of the city budget • 83.73% of the YPD budget is dedicated to personnel costs • There is no way to make sizeable reductions without reducing positons Proposed Preliminary Budget Reductions Budget Cut Personnel Cost Reduction Eliminate Third Captain Position 1 Police Captain $187,147.07 Rotate Police Recruiting Officer to Neutral rotate back to Patrol patrol when vacancies Salary Absorbed by Patrol filled 1 Corrections Eliminate in-Home Detention Program $93,458.80I Administrative Specialist Eliminate Vacant Police Officer 10 Police Officers $1,520,079.50 Positions Eliminate Services Manager 1 Services Manager $156,967.81 Eliminate Crime Free Housing and Stop 2 PSS1 $163,315.52 Fingerprinting Service $2,120,968.70 I m porta nt Notes • It is likely that more reductions may need to be identified as we get closer to 2025 • It is important to note that several factors may change the need for reductions and/or the actual proposed reductions • Most changes will occur over time but some may be immediate. 13 Yakima Police Department The Yakima Police Department (YPD) is a full-service law enforcement agency. This means that it operates in a similar fashion to most mid-sized police departments in America. Patrol officers respond to calls for service, detectives investigate serious criminal events, and officers enforce traffic regulations and investigate traffic collisions. In addition to the sworn police functions, the Yakima Police Department operates a city jail (Corrections Division) and operates a Services Division to maintain records and provide information to the public. The mission of the Yakima Police Department is: The members of the Yakima Police Department will partner with the community to reduce violent crime, while always providing exceptional customer service. The purpose of this document and presentation are to detail the lines of service provided by YPD, to generally assess their effectiveness, and to introduce a preliminary strategy to implement a significant budget reduction to ensure financial stability for the City of Yakima. Budget Facts: • The Yakima Police Department is allotted 44.46% of the City's bi-annual budget • Personnel costs (salary and benefits) represent 83.73% of YPD's bi-annual budget Staffing Facts: • The Yakima Police Department is budgeted for 143 sworn police officers (including command staff). The actual number of sworn police officers has been near or below 130 since Chief Murray's appointment in 2019. This equates to a ratio of 1.47 officers per 1,000 community members. The State of Washington ranks 51st in the United States (this includes Washington DC) with 1.38 commissioned officers per 1,000 population'. With the proposed position reductions in this proposal the ratio for Yakima would be 1.31 (Yakima is currently at 121 Officers for a ratio of 1.25). • The budgeted non-commissioned staff is 34 • The budgeted commissioned correction officer staff is 15 Crime Facts: • Since the Focused Deterrence Model(from the book "Don't Shoot') was fully implemented in 2020, there has been a 24%reduction in non-fatal shootings in Yakima. • The State average for aggravated assaults rose 15.4% from 2020 to 2021 — but Yakima showed a 17.4% decrease for a difference of 32.8%. • The Washington State average for robbery rose 10% from 2020 to 2021 —but Yakima showed a 29.4% decrease for a difference of 39.4%. • Yakima saw a 50% reduction in forgery cases and a 33.3% reduction in fraud between 2020 and 2021. There was an overall crime reduction of 8.8%in Yakima". • The YPD Property Crimes Unit began weekly proactive anti-retail theft operations in mid- 2022. The data is promising as reported shoplifting cases are down 34.5%. • Traffic fatalities have been at all-time highs for two years in a row. However, a renewed emphasis on traffic enforcement has resulted in a 177% increase in traffic stops. YPD has also received a tentative commitment from the Washington State Traffic 14 Commission to fund a full-time DUI enforcement position (and to purchase a vehicle). We are awaiting final approval from the Commission. • Federal indictments have increased 70% in the past two years as we have developed a close relationship to combat gang and domestic violence. In 2022, YPD responded to 65,573 calls for service and only investigated fourteen misconduct complaints against our officers (less than 2 one-hundredths of 1%). YPD is clearly and successfully achieving its mission. Budget Challenges Financial forecasts and analysis for the City of Yakima have determined that at some point in the near future expenses will eclipse revenue. In response to that reality, the senior management staff has been tasked with identifying budget reductions to maintain a balanced budget. This requires an overall reduction of approximately 7 million dollars by 2025/2026. The Yakima Police Department has already spent a great deal of time to strategically operate in an efficient manner. This document represents the future reductions the Yakima Police Department anticipates making to partially meet that obligation and the impact the reductions will have on the services provided to the community. These are all proposed in an effort to have the least impact on the primary functions and mission of the police department. These reductions impact all four existing divisions and the administration personnel within the police department (Patrol, Investigations, Corrections, and Services). Some of the reductions may begin immediately while others are proposed with the understanding that factors may change and better options may be identified. All are presumed to be necessary by 2025. It is highly likely that more reductions may need to be identified before 2025. Current Staffing / Proposed Reductions Administration • Staff (7): • Chief (1) • Captain (1) - vacant • Executive Assistant (1) • Administrative Lieutenant (1), Analysts and Training Staff (5) • Internal Affairs (2) • Police Recruiter (1) • Police Information Specialist (1) • Proposed Reductions — The current vacant captain position is being held to help fund the Deputy Chief position. It would be removed from the budget ($187,147.07). • Impact - Studies have shown that the ideal ratio for a team is one leader to four members (up to six). This ratio is best smaller the higher one goes up the chain of command (typically 2-3 for a CEO). At the Yakima Police Department the Chief of Police has seven direct reports and an additional 15 employee whose administrative needs are managed by a lieutenant but is directed by the chief. The command structure of YPD is outdated and untenable. It reduces what the chief is able to accomplish and lends itself to errors as the chief is spread too thin to effectively manage such a large group. It should be noted that the Yakima Fire Department is half the size of the police department and has one extra level of management and two deputy chief positions. Many much smaller agencies in Washington State have a Deputy Chief to assist their Chief of Police. • Equity—there are no equity issues with this reduction. Rotate the Police Recruiter Position Back to Patrol. ($152,007.95) Once the vacancies (up to a sworn contingent of 127 officers) have been fully staffed, the recruiting position will rotate back to patrol. • Equity—The current police recruiter has spent a great deal of time developing relationships at high schools, community colleges, Explorer Programs, four-year colleges and community organizations. She seeks to find candidates who are from Yakima, look like the community they seek to serve, and have specialized skills like speaking Spanish and English. With that position gone it may be more difficult to find candidates who help diversify the police ranks. TOTAL: $339,155.02 Corrections • Staff (19): • Commander (1) • Sergeant (3) • Corrections Officer (11) - 3 Current vacancies • Specialist (2) • Building Maintenance (2) • Proposed Reductions — Eliminate the Electronic Home Monitoring program and specialist position. ($93,458.80) • Impact - The City of Yakima offers an alternative "in-home" detention program as an alternative to jail. It most often allows offenders the opportunity to keep their jobs and help their families while still serving their debt to society. This service exists to assist offenders and is not an essential function. Nor does it reduce violent crime. However, more people will be forced to serve time in jail. This will put further strain on those offenders who want to correct their life course. It will likely cause higher rates of unemployment and greater stress. This will also 16 increase the jail population which would likely reduce available "bed space"for some prolific low-level crime offenders. It should be noted that this service is available trough private vendors in the City of Yakima. Study the budget impact of closing the city iail. There are enormous safety benefits of having our municipal jail. We are often able to hold prisoners who would not be admitted to the county jail but are causing havoc in our community. However, it may cost less to house all inmates at the county jail and we will explore this option and report back our findings. TOTAL: $93,458.80 Investigations Although there are no new budget reductions in the Investigations Division, it should be noted that staffing is down in the Special Assault Unit, DEA Task Force, and Property Crimes. Patrol (actual staffing —sworn and unsworn) • Staff (93): • Captain (1) • Lieutenant (4) • Sergeant (12) • Police Officer (72) • Community Service Officer (3) • Police Fleet Specialist (1) It should be noted that Patrol staffing is also down in the Traffic Unit and the School Resource Officer Unit. • Proposed Reductions — Eliminate Ten Authorized and Vacant Police Officer Positions ($1,520,079.50) Impact: The Yakima Police Department has been operating with relatively low staffing numbers for many years. Recently, this has been a result of factors like legislative changes, retirements, officers disillusioned with the profession, and routine separations. However, we have hired nearly one officer per month (on average) since Chief Murray was appointed. This means that the outstanding employees in this agency have been able to deliver most law enforcement services at high proficiency (see crime stats above). Our proposal would eliminate vacancies and maintain budgeted sworn officer positions to 127. The immediate impact is that the focus will need to remain on the most serious calls for service and those which impact our ability to accomplish our mission. The services reduced would include encouraging that all "cold" (not in-progress) report calls to be filed online. There are also times that officers would be unable to respond to 17 many quality of life or low-level criminal incidents. YPD would not turn a blind eye to these offenses but they would be the lowest priority calls. Finally, these adjustments reduce the staffing margin. If we were to be impacted by a high number of injuries, retirements, etc. it would be much more difficult to respond to calls for service in a timely manner. This could also cause a spike in overtime or a need to hire additional officers as we work to continue to provide safety services. We do retain a slim margin with in the authorized positions to hire laterals if they became available. In this event, we would revisit the staffing needs with a report to the Council. Equity—Given that there are no change in the number of officers deployed, it should have no impact now. However, the additional positions if filled would have provided opportunities to provide increased services in areas experiencing higher rates of crime. TOTAL: $1,520,079.50 Services • Staff (19): • Manager (1) • Supervisor (2) • Lead (1) • PSS2 (7) —2 vacancies • PSS1 (8) • Proposed Reductions — Merge the Services Division with the Corrections Division — This would reduce the Services Manager position. ($156,967.81) The Services Division is responsible for a wide variety of tasks and services provided to the community. It should be noted that most of the functions of the Services Division are essential to function or required by law. The current staffing is 1 Manger, 2 Supervisors, and 16 staff. The Corrections Division consists of 1 Commander, 3 Sergeants, 11 Officers, 2 Specialists (with a proposed reduction of one), and 2 facilities staff (building maintenance). When compared to patrol with nearly 70 personnel, it is possible to combine these two divisions (reducing the need for a Services Manager). Eliminate the Crime Free Rental Program/Stop Fingerprinting Service. ($163,315.52 —2 PSS1 positions) Impact: This affects quality of life issues related to rental properties. Property owners work with the police department to ensure their tenants adhere to the law. This is closely tied to the sergeant who works on issues relating to homelessness and chronic nuisance. This may make filing chronic nuisance cases more difficult and reduces a service directly benefiting Landlords. Nuisance reports may be used in eviction 18 processes. An alternative to eliminating the position would be to implement a fee that would offset the cost of the program. YPD offers fingerprinting services for people applying for jobs and volunteering for positions like foster parent. This is not required by law and is not a critical component of our mission. The service is a convenience for Yakima residents. A fee could be implemented if there was a desire to maintain the position and continue the service. TOTAL: $320,283.33 Conclusion It is unquestionable that reducing the police budget by ten percent will have impacts on some of the services the community have come to appreciate. However, we have been operating well below authorized strength for an extended period and should be able to continue to reduce violent crime and maintain public safety in a similar manner to the way we currently operate. Most of the service reductions are related to quality of life issues and low-level crimes. Budget Cut Personnel Cost Reduction Eliminate Third 1 Police $187,147.07 Captain Position Captain Rotate Police Neutral — Salary Absorbed by Recruiting Officer to Rotate Back Patrol Patrol to Patrol Eliminate in-Home 1 Corrections Detention Program Administrative $93,458.80 Specialist Eliminate Vacant 10 Police Police Officer Officers $1,520,079.50 Positions Eliminate Services 1 Services $156,967.81 Manager Manager 19 Eliminate Crime Free Housing and Stop 2 PSS1 $163,315.52 Fingerprinting Service $2,120,968.70 Total Positions Cut: Sworn Positions (11) 1 Police Captain 10 Police Officers Non-Sworn Positions (4) 2 PSS1 (Crime Free Housing I Fingerprinting) 1 Corrections Admin. Specialist 1 Services Manager https://www.waspc.orgJassets/CI W%202021%20Med is%20Release%20072022.pdf rr https://www.waspc.orgiassets/2021%2OCIW.pdf