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<br /> . , . I . .' <br /> for proactive services, or self-initiated activities, and 65% committed to either <br /> handling calls for service or all those other things that flow from those calls, that <br /> really is the basic threshold for what I would call, minimum, adequate Police staffing. <br /> - On the other end of the range, is what we call expanded Police services, which would <br /> be the balance of time we show is about 45% available for proactive time, 55% time <br /> spent handling calls. At that level there is the expectation that officers have enough <br /> time to accomplish some of the things that you currently assign to your Community <br /> Coordinating Officers, and are able to block time" for community oriented policing <br /> activities beyond the routine, like traffic stops. <br /> Mr. Heiss said the study focused on trying to figure out what is the demand for Patrol <br /> services in Redwood City and how does that impact the Police Department. During <br /> the time we did the study... we had about 42 actual filled, deployable Patrol officer <br /> positions. There were six positions vacant, and as a result, because of vacancies and <br /> workload, the Department embarked upon a minimum staffing program which <br /> employed overtime, borrowing people from other units in the Department essentially <br /> deploy an agreed upon number of people on the day, evening and swing shifts, which <br /> exceeded what those 42 filled positions were available to do. As a result... we <br /> evaluated the Patrol utilization at both levels, considering the number of people we <br /> actually had available to work the street, and the minimum staffing policy... <br /> considering how call demand varies in Redwood City and some of the unique <br /> characteristics related to the Department." <br /> Mr. Heiss said all the analysis showed that "the minimum staffing policy in place at <br /> - the time the study was conducted as well as the actual number of people assigned to <br /> the Patrol division at the time of the study was conducted - Patrol is pretty <br /> understaffed, and was and continues to be relatively understaffed." He said there was <br /> insufficient personnel to handle calls for service as well as community oriented <br /> services. <br /> Mr. Heiss said the Report details the operations of the Patrol division, and shows that <br /> about 50% of the week Patrol force utilization "in the amount of proactive or <br /> uncommitted time is well below that 35% limit, and that is clearly an indicator of <br /> Patrol understaffing." He added, that statistically, "Patrol is overloaded a good deal <br /> of the time probably 75% to 80% of the time, when the bulk of demand occurs." Mr. <br /> Heiss said the Report shows there are a number of times when more calls come in <br /> than can be dispatched, which supports the Report's conclusion of Patrol <br /> understaffing. However, during the quiet time between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. there are <br /> more than enough officers on Patrol to handle the calls. <br /> Mr. Heiss discussed the use of non-sworn personnel, Community Service Officers, as <br /> a policy decision for the Council. CSOs receive training and can handle low priority <br /> calls by taking reports and evidence collection. Their tasks do not require a sworn <br /> - SPECIAL COUNCIL MEETING MINUTE BOOK NO. 55 OCTOBER 13, 1997 <br /> MINUTES Page No. 565 PAGE 4 <br />