CC MIIN 1976 - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

��82 � . �_ � a known crime area will stop or move the cr�minal activity. Chief Bold stated that budget considerations demand that most effective use of police officers be made In response to questions as to the number of additional people re- quested by Chief Bold and whether the ab�lity to combat rising crime � �s hampered by lack of personnel, Mr. Fales described the primarily clerical positions which were not approved and Chief Bold advised that added manpower is a traditional answer to rising crirt�, but that mere numbers will not necessarily reduce crime. In further response � to questton, Chief Bold advised that there are presently five vacancies � in the Police Department due to resignat�ons and retirements and that recruitment and written tests have taken place with orals pending, and appointments should be made soon. Lengthy discussion followed and Mr. Fales and Chief Bold commented and replied to questions concerning the elimination of certain pol�ce services aimed more at public relations then eliminating crime; the responsibility of inerchants with regard to check cashing, the fact that those install�ng alarm systems are now referred to private com- panies since it has been discovered that some 98% of the alarms are false involving employee errors at a cost of about $22,000 a year to the Police Department, means of determining the kind and level of police service the citizens want and for which they are willing to pay; the ineffectiveness of the beat patrol system, the very high cost of adding each patrol vehicle ($109,512 for each vehicle and supporting costs of officers to operate �t); the des�rability and effectiveness of citizens being alert to activ�ty in_ their own neigh- borhoods; programs to teach citizens how to make their homes secure; and the kinds of research available to the Police Department on man- � power utilization. (Council recessed from 10:42 to 11:00 a.m.) Raul Baca, 180 Harrison, representing several Spanish-speaking�organi- zations, stated his support of the Manager's recor�nendation for the Police Department Budget and cortonended Police Chief Bold for main- taining open lines of communications with his office, and urged � that services be continued. , ' � Councilman Norris stated for the record that he would like to have staff cons�der use and effectiveness of public service officers and determine the savings, �if any, wh�ch might result from reallocation of responsibiltties; to consider response time to police calls; and to consider any proposal to promote crime prevention by educating citizens to help the commun�ty to assist the Police Department (memo `5/17/76) ' � Mr. Fales observed that the Public Service Training Program now being conducted by the Police Department is more valuable than the use of public serv�ce officers, in that the public service officer is a civ�lian and is expected to remain so, while the trainees an- ticipate future employment as sworn police officers. MOTION: Councilman Rhodes moved, seconded by Councilman Biagi, that � in view of the cost of government and the rising crime rate that the pos�tion of Administrative Assistant in the Police Department be eliminated and that�one police officer be added to the Department. ,. , , � ' -3- Budget Study , ' 5/15/76 " ' , ,