Fort Walton Beach Council agenda — 10-22-2007 special agenda — reading text

three ( 3) Records Clerks ( two FT and one PT). The Communications Unit operates on a three ( 3) shift schedule: 7: 00 am 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. Staffing 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, nationwide data on full time officers per 1, 000 citizens is summarized in Exhibit 9- 2. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9- 5  Police EXHIBIT 9- 2 STAFFING RATIOS FT Officers per Population 1, 000 Residents 250, 000 or more 2. 5 100, 000 to 249, 999 1. 9 50, 000 to 99,999 1. 8 25,000 to 49, 999 1. 8 10, 000 to 24, 999 2 2, 500 to 9, 999 2. 2 1, 000 to 2,499 2. 6 All Sizes 2. 5 Currently, the Department has 55 authorized sworn positions; however, five ( 5) positions are vacant ( one CRA Officer, one Administrative Services Sergeant, and three Officers). Using the averaqe 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 sworn positions would seem to be substantially in line with industry norms. Using this 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 population is an imperfect criterion, as local conditions, service levels desired, daytime population, and special programs aimed at local needs must be taken into consideration. The City has become used to the ratio of 2. 5+ and 55 sworn officer positions. In effect, a 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 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. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9-6  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 range of positions. Adhering to the staffing ratio of two ( 2) officers per thousand population would be insufficient, and 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 prediction due to the extreme variation between municipalities. MAG suggests a staffing 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 the daytime population and traffic, and the unique geography of the City of Fort Walton Beach. Data collected by the FBI ( FBI, Crime in the United States, Table 75, Full-time 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 residents/ population. Exhibit 9- 3 summarizes averages for civilian employees. EXHIBIT 9- 3 STAFFING RATIOS Number of % FT Civilians per Group Population 1, 000 Pop. Respondents 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 National Total for All Cities 185, 926, 671 10822 Cities 23. 2 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% of the total number of employees ( 78). While this number exceeds the national average, Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9- 7  Police there are a number of additional components and variables that should be considered when reviewing staffing levels. A good indicator of staffing levels, performance, and standards can be found in a review of performance measures ( presented below). For example, the argument can be 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 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 emergency response times either positively or negatively. An additional measure of performance that is directly related to staffing levels and resource allocation is community satisfaction, or other similar proxy measures ( e. g. % of citizens who feel safe walking alone after dark and/ or % of citizens rating police service as " good" or A high level excellent"). of community satisfaction is mirrored by the level of involvement, interaction, and engagement between police and citizens - which is necessarily time and staff intensive. Performance Measures The Department currently utilizes a number of performance measures to gather data on productivity, efficiency, and effectiveness. These measures are divided into three primary areas: Workload; Efficiency; and, Effectiveness. The measures/ benchmarks utilized in the Workload category include: Number of High Priority Call Responses; Number of Medium/ Low Priority Responses; Number of Arrests Made; Number of Traffic Citations Issued; Number of Accident Reports Written; Number of Offences Cleared; Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9- 8  Police P>Number of Investigations Completed; and, Number of Graduates from Citizens Police Academy. The measures of Efficiency include: Number of Sworn Officers per 1, 000 Citizens; of Alarm Call Responses that are False Alarms; Average Cost per Response; and, Net Cost for Services per Citizen. The Department measures for Effectiveness include: Violent Crimes per 1, 000 Residents; Property Crimes per 1, 000 Residents; Emergency Response Time ( Minutes); Citizens Who Feel Safe Walking Alone After Dark; and, of Citizens Rating Police Services " Good" to " Excellent". A Summary Table of available data is illustrated by Exhibit 9- 4. Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9-9 To summarize, from 2003 to 2006: the number of high priority calls decreased by approximately 15%. the number of medium/ low priority call responses increased by approximately 8%. the number of arrests made increased by approximately 6%. the number of traffic citations issued decreased by approximately 24%. the number of accident reports written decreased by approximately 6%. the number of offenses cleared decreased by approximately 4%. the number of investigations completed decreased by approximately 27%. the number of graduates from the citizens police academy decreased by approximately 100%. However, it should be noted that in 2006- 07 YTD, 19 new graduates of the academy have matriculated. the number of sworn officers per 1, 000 citizens has decreased by about 5%. the percent of false alarm calls decreased by approximately 2%. the average cost per response increased by approximately 19%. the net cost for services per citizen increased by approximately 18%. the rate of violent crimes per 1, 000 residents increased by approximately 41%. the rate of property crimes per 1, 000 residents increased by approximately 13% the emergency response time increased approximately 12%. 9. 2 Maior Policies and Operational Issues In the past, turnover in the Department has been high. The Department used to only hire pre- certified officers. A recent initiative in terms of pre- service hiring includes screening for good candidates, then subsidizing Academy training in return for three ( 3) years of creditable service. This program could be expanded in the future to address similar needs such as training, certification, and continuing education needs and their associated costs. The nature of law enforcement is constantly changing - agencies need the ability to adapt to changing conditions or new threats to public safety. In the future, the Department may need to consider alternative options for lateral movement or opportunities for advancement in terms of new positions, or units, focusing on evolving issues of local concern ( e. g. Gang Suppression). Alternative Services Delivery Study for Fort Walton Beach, Florida Page 9- 11  Police The Police Department recently initiated a " take home" vehicle policy for officers.