TO:
Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council
THROUGH:
Bruce Moe, City Manager
FROM:
Rachel Johnson, Police Chief
Lisa Jenkins, Human Resources Director
SUBJECT:Title
Consideration of Police Department Staffing Levels and Authorization for the Over-Hiring of Five Additional Police Officers (Police Chief Johnson and Human Resources Director Jenkins).
DISCUSS AND PROVIDE DIRECTION
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RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends that the City Council authorize the over-hiring of up to five additional sworn Police Officers.
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS:
The cost of over-hiring employees will be offset by salary savings in the current fiscal year. Should the Council desire to permanently increase staffing levels, the associated fiscal implications will be included in a future budget update along with a corresponding appropriation.
BACKGROUND:
Historically, the Police Department has maintained the authorization to over-hire by two Police Officer positions with the ability to return to Council for authorization for additional over-hires. Currently, sworn* staffing within the Police Department is as follows:
Position
Full-Time Employees
Police Chief
1.0
Police Captain
2.0
Police Lieutenant
5.0
Police Sergeant
11.0
Police Officer
46.0
Total
65.0
*Sworn police employees include those who are trained in law enforcement and have the authority to engage in law enforcement activities, including arrest power, and are authorized to carry a firearm and badge.
The City hires both Lateral/Academy Graduate as well as Trainee candidates to become Police Officers. Lateral candidates are currently working as Police Officers in other organizations and academy graduate candidates have attended a police academy but do not yet have the required agency experience. Finally, trainee candidates are entry-level employees who do not yet have training and experience in law enforcement, and the City sends them to a police acade...
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