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. " . , . ., Monica Brooks, 31 Center Street, submitted a petition signed by attendees at her Neighborhood Association meeting, which states, "As residents of the City of - Redwood City, we request that the City Council adequately staff the Police Department." Ms. Brooks said the neighborhood appreciated the work the Police Department has done in the neighborhood, especially getting rid of prostitutes and drug dealers. She asked the Council to support adequate staffing of the Police Department. MEMO 10/14/97 5. Recess; Mayor Hartnett declared a recess at 9:50 p.m. Meeting resumed at 10:01 p.m. 6. City Council discussion and direction to staff. In response to Council questions regarding increased traffic and crime problems, Chief Bolanos, using an overhead slide of the years 1987-1997, said that crime tends to be cyclical. He said that crime is decreasing nationwide due to many factors. Mayor Hartnett said the Report has specific data, recommendations and alternatives. He thanked the Steering Committee and all the participants of the study and said it was important that the Police Department staff had been involved, including tonight's comments. Mayor Hartnett said, "the fact that there was a study at all, reflects the - employees' concerns about the staffing levels. The management's support of having that independently addressed in a way that provided this Council with information to address the policy issues involved" was very important. Mayor Hartnett said the staffing levels in the Police Department have been a subject of concem for a long time, and "so far as I know it is the first time there's been an outside study that addressed the issues. It is helpful for all of us to have this process go forward." Councilman Claire said, based on the "comments tonight about certain data in the Report," he recommended that this matter "be referred back to the Steering Committee to have the differences of opinions worked out at that Committee level with the POA and the administration and Mr. Heiss's group looking at those numbers, and come back to us at a later date with numbers that all agree are in fact the correct ones." He said he could not make recommendations at this time. Councilman Leipzig said, "I agree with the general direction of Councilman Claire's comments. Also perhaps we could have back from the City Manager, some numbers on some of the different options, the overtime costs, and some of the things raised earlier, rough numbers... what the numbers are, what you project you can do in six months, one year, two years as far as filling positions. The options of the different shift schedules and specificaJly,.thC;overtime issue." - SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 OCTOBER 13, 1997 MINUTES Page No. 579 PAGE 18