Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 05-12-12 special police reorganization — reading text

Agenda — City of Fort Walton Beach Special Meeting of the City Council of Fort Walton Beach Thursday, May 10, 2012 6: 00 PM 107 Miracle Slrlp Parkway Fed Wzllnn Reach, FL 32548 CALL TO ORDER 6: 00 PM Meeting will be called to order on May 10, 2012 at Council Chamber, 107 Miracle Strip Parkway, Fort Walton Beach, FL. 2. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE 3. ACTION ITEMS 3. 1. Police Department Reorganization Synopsis: ( Finance Director) Chief Litschauer will present the Police Department' s reorganization plan. ATTACHMENTS 5- 10- 12Sra$ Rrynrt IPDF) i10- 12Sup, 1., f al"", M YtlU ( PDSI 4. ADJOURNMENT Quasi- Judicial - denotes that the item must be conducted as a quasi -judicial hearing in accordance with Florida Statutes. Action - Direction - Discussion items may be acted upon by the City Council by either a motion with a vote in accordance with Robert' s Rules of Order, or by a consensus of the Council. Any person who decides to appeal any decision made with respect to any matter at this meeting will need a record of the proceedings, and for such purpose may need to ensure that a verbatim record of the proceedings is made, which record includes the testimony and evidence upon which the appeal is to be based. ( Chapter 286. 01105, F. S.) The City of Fort Walton Beach adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act and will make reasonable modifications for access to this meeting upon request. Please call City Clerk Helen Spencer at 833 -9509 to make a request. For Hearing Impaired dial the City Hall TDD #850 -833- 01vCouncil fFo,, 4Ya /ronHeach Pagel PHmed51412012 Special Meeting Agenda May 10, 2012 9925 or 1- 800 -995 -8771 ( TDD) or 1- 800 -955 -8770 ( Voice). Requests must be received at least 48 hours in advance of the meeting in order to allow the City time to provide requested service. All City of Fort Walton Beach council and board meetings are recorded. The video can be accessed at www.lwb.org. Cin Cauncil cfFart W lion Beach Page 2 Printed 5142012  3. 1 City Council of Fort Walton Beach FINANCE MEMORANDUM To: Robert T. Mearns, City Manager From: Brandy Ferris, Finance Director Date: May 10, 2012 Subject: Police Department Reorganization ATTACHMENTS: 5 - 10 - 12 Staff Report ( PDF) 5 - 10 - 12 Supp Information Memo( PDF) SIGNATURE BLOCK: Brandy Ferris Completed 05/ 04/2012 8: 33 AM Carole Jones Completed 05/ 04/2012 8: 47 AM City Manager Completed 05/ 04/2012 8: 55 AM City Council Pending Packet Pg. 3  F31. CSM - 2814 MYOF FORT WAGTONBEACH POLICE DEPARTMENT STAFF REPORT MEMORANDUM To: Robert T. Meatns, City Manager From: Ted Litschauer, Police Chief Date: May 4, 2012 Subject: Transmittal of Proposal to Reduce Police Department Budget by $ 1, 019, 000 in Fiscal Year - 2013 1. Background: 1. 1. A proposal was presented to the Council, by the Ckaloosa County Sheriff, on February 28, 2012. 1. 2. A staff report, containing the police chief s review and commentary was submitted to the City Manager on March 22, 2011 The document was subsequently released to the public on March 28, 2012. 1. 3. More recently, preliminary information received by the City' s Finance Department projects a significant revenue shortfall for Fiscal Year 2013, 2. Discussion: 2. 1. In the aforecited staff report, analysis revealed that the proposal presentation from the sheriffs office resulted in a reduction in various services, including the elimination of the facility, open twenty -fours a day, to receive the public. 2. 2. In anticipation of revenue shortfalls, as well as increasing costs of equipment and supplies, an intense review of the police department structure was reviewed and analyzed for the purpose of reducing costs without resulting in a significant negative impact on public safety and the delivery of police services. 2. 2. 1. The review and analysis was conducted with three requirements as goals: the reduction of one million dollars from the police budget, no reduction in safety to our citizens, and no increased threat to officer safety. 2. 2. 2. Those three requirements are met within the restructure described herein. 2. 3. A deployment restructure of the patrol function was developed. 2. 3. 1. The deployment schedule was reconfigured to include four ( 4) twelve ( 12) hour squads, rather than six ( 6) eleven ( 11) hour squads. 2. 3. 2. This reduced the number of supervisors needed, by two, replacing them with lesser expensive) patrolmen. Packet Pg. 4  3. 1. a 2. 3. 3. The patrol deployment will then function with the same authorized strength level. 2. 3. 4. Operating with the same call management philosophy and the same number of patrol personnel will enable the department to maintain the same rapid call response levels for which it has received citizen acclaim. 2. 4. A wholesale restructure, combining the Support Services and Criminal Investigation Divisions into a single Operations Support Division, will result in the elimination of several positions. 2. 4. 1. The community policing unit will be eliminated, except for the CPA Officers, which are separately funded. Although the loss of these three ( 3) positions will necessarily have some negative impact on services which have heretofore been provided, the impact will be mitigated by the fact that the entire police department functions with a community policing philosophy. 2. 4. 2. The general investigations unit will be restructured by the reduction of two ( 2) investigators. 2. 4. 2. 1. This loss will be offset, in part, by the establishment and operations of a multi- agency major case squad. 2. 4. 2. 2. The major case squad will provide immediate manpower assistance, upon the occurrence of major crimes, which require substantial and immediate latent investigation. 2. 4. 3. The street crimes ( vice) unit will be eliminated, removing two ( 2) investigative positions. The third investigator will be assigned to a multi -agency dmg task force, which will then encompass those duties. 2. 4. 4. One ( 1) communications officer and one ( 1) administrative position will also be eliminated. 2. 4. 5. This deployment structure will also enable the department to continue to operate and provide its twenty -four hour facility to the public. 2. 4. 6. Operational equipment and supplies, appertaining to the listed positions, will also contribute to the budget cost reduction. 3. Closing. 3. 1. Citizens have come to rely upon law enforcement professionalism and high quality service, which they both deserve and receive, from the members of the Fort Walton Beach Police Department ( FWBPD). 3. 2. Fiscal conditions require significant reductions in expenditures by city government, including the police department. 3. 3. While addressing the fiscal situation, the two most important considerations: 3. 3. 1. the safety of citizens, by rapid response to their calls for assistance, and 3. 3. 2. adequate staffing and equipment to provide for the safety of working police officers were also met. Packet Pg. 5  3.3. 1.1. aa 3. 4 An organizational chart, depicting the proposed police department restructure, was prepared by the Finance Department and appears below. m.rrccnmr u. r m,yawl ox,rcapio mE. nwn i rre Seryunl Raoraz Cbmmer Sal vu, iov l M oayl ccnn An MEE Sertleam eni0a,iene Supervisor eI FfE IFfE F7E I oa.oa.h9sEeamh9oEeams4mToEaaem4TE aae 3.3. 5.5. TheThe proposed proposed restructuringrestructuring ofof thethe policepolice department,department, resultingresulting inin thethe eliminationelimination ofof elevenel( even ( 11)11) positionspositions ( ( eighteight ( ( 8)8) ofof whichwhich havehave recentlyrecently beenbeen vacatedvacated andand notnot refilled)refilled) andand aa decreasedecrease ofof approximatelyapproximately oneone millionmillion andand nineteennineteen thousandthousand dollarsdollars ($ ($ 1, 019,019, 000000 ) ) furtherfurther demonstrates demonstrates thethe commitmentcommitment ofof thethe policepolice department'department' ss members members toto