Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 11-26-2007 special agenda — reading text

Squads per shift rotation ( A & B); each Squad consisting of one ( 1) I Sergeant and four (4) Officers. Criminal Investigations I The Criminal Investigations Division is responsible for investigations of criminal I activity within the jurisdiction of Fort Walton Beach. The Division is composed of a Captain, who directs the activities of an Investigations Unit ( one Sergeant and four I I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9-4 I  Police Detectives), a Street Crimes Unit ( one Sergeant and four Detectives), and a Property/ Evidence & Crime Scene Unit consisting of one ( 1) Detective. I Support Services The Support Services Division is responsible for community policing projects, I The Division programs, and initiatives, communications and records for the Department. I is composed of a Captain, who directs the activities of a Community Policing Unit ( one Sergeant and four Officers) including two ( 1) CRA Officers; a Communications Unit with I one ( 1) Communications Supervisor and eight ( 8) Communications Officers; and a Records Unit with one ( 1) Records Supervisor and three ( 3) Records Clerks ( two FT I and one PT). The Communications Unit operates on a three ( 3) shift schedule: 7: 00 am I to 3: 00 pm, 3: 00 pm to 11 : 00 pm, and 11 : 00 pm to 7: 00 am; usually with two ( 2) Communications Officers per shift. It Staffi ng Ratios A common component of law enforcement operations assessments and reviews entails examination of current staffing levels with regard to ratios of staff ( sworn and civilian) to the number of citizens. According to the US Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Bureau of Justice Statistics' 2003 report Local Police Departments, L nationwide data on full time officers per 1, 000 citizens is summarized in Exhibit 9- 2. I I I I I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9-5 I hi. Police EXHIBIT 9- 2 STAFFING RATIOS D Population FT Officers per 1, 000 Residents 250,000 or more 2. 5 II 100, 000 to 249, 999 50, 000 to 99, 999 1. 9 1. 8 25,000 to 49,999 1. 8 I 10, 000 to 24, 999 2, 500 to 9, 999 2 2. 2 1, 000 to 2, 499 2.6 All Sizes 2. 5 I Currently, the Department has 55 authorized sworn positions; however, five ( 5) I three positions are vacant ( one CRA Officer, one Administrative Services Sergeant, and E Officers). Using the averaoe ratio ( 2. 5) noted above, and assuming an approximate City population of 21, 000; the expected number of sworn officers would be approximately 52. 5 full time officers. Based on this average ratio for all cities, current staffing levels for this sworn positions would seem to be substantially in line with industry norms. Using standard for cities of similar size would result in an expected number of sworn officers at 42. The current level of sworn officers is excessive if evaluated according to the average ratio for cities in the 10, 000 to 24, 999 population class. The use of officers per 1, 000 E population is an imperfect criterion, as local conditions, service levels desired, daytime consideration. population, and special programs aimed at local needs must be taken into I The City has become used to the ratio of 2. 5+ and 55 sworn officer positions. In effect, a I higher level of service has been chosen as the number of sworn officers has increased to the current level. One key component that must be considered in the determination of I the most appropriate staffing levels is the local issue of the increase in daytime population and vehicle traffic. The geography of the City must also be considered. I I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9- 6 I  Police Given the programs, community preferences, daytime population and activity, service demands, method of organization, and geography of the City, the current staffing level for sworn positions ( 55) is at the high end of a possible III range of positions. Adhering to the staffing ratio of two ( 2) officers per thousand population would be insufficient, and J not recognize the daytime population impact. Imposing the overall ratio for cities, resulting in a level of 52. 5 sworn positions, would not be the most accurate method of I prediction due to the extreme variation between municipalities. MAG suggests a staffing I level for sworn positions at the upper end of the range, at 50 positions. This recognizes the generally accepted standard of officers per thousand for cities of similar size, plus I the daytime population and traffic, and the unique geography of the City of Fort Walton Beach. I: Data collected by the FBI ( FBI, Crime in the United States, Table 75, Full-time I: Civilian Law Enforcement Employees as of October 31, 2004 - Percent of Total by Population Group; 2004) indicated national averages for civilian employees per 1, 000 I: residents/ population. Exhibit 9- 3 summarizes averages for civilian employees. EXHIBIT 9- 3 STAFFING RATIOS I: Number of % FT Civilians per Group Population Respondents 1, 000 Pop. I IV 25,000 to 49,999 758 Cities 21. 2 V 10,000 to 24, 999 1, 783 Cities 20.2 VI under 10, 000 7, 602 Cities 21. 9 I National Total for All Cities 185,926,671 10822 Cities 23.2 I As of June, 2007, there were 78 positions ( data provided by City) including 55 FT sworn positions. Using these guidelines, the number of civilian employees ( 23) is 29. 5%) I of the total number of employees ( 78). While this number exceeds the national average, I Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9- 7 I  Police there are a number of additional components and variables that should be considered when reviewing staffing levels. f A good indicator of staffing levels, performance, and standards can be found in a hi review of performance measures ( presented below). For example, the argument can be I: made that a primary measure of effectiveness is response time to emergency calls - if the target standard is approximately 1 : 43 ( 1 minute, 43 seconds), and that standard has t been obtained by the current, and recent past, sworn/ non- sworn staffing levels, then ( all else being equal) departures upwards or downwards in staffing levels are bound to effect t emergency response times either positively or negatively. An additional measure of II performance that is directly related to staffing levels and resource allocation is safe community satisfaction, or other similar proxy measures ( e. g. % of citizens who feel E walking alone after dark and/ or % of citizens rating police service as " good" or excellent"). A high level of community satisfaction is mirrored by the level of involvement, interaction, and between police and citizens - which is engagement II!III i necessarily time and staff intensive. Performance Measures r The Department currently utilizes a number of performance measures to gather into data on productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. These measures are