Agenda - Council - 06/14/1994 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Zoning: No staffmg requests have been made in this area. If platting and public improvement impacts exceed our current projections for 1995, there may be a need for temporary project assistance or contract personnel for certain projects. No sm.ffing requests have been made in this area, During 1994 there were some changes in how the city performed its financial services, such as the transferring of utility billing to Anoka Electric Cooperative and enhanced services to counter customers in the area of special assessments. This reduction of routine services will allow for improved complex services using our current system. The only addition to staffing requested was to bring the department membership to 31 by 1998 dependant upon call outs and daytime/nighttime response needs. Police Clerical support: The only request in this area was for 832 hours per year in part-time temporary clerical beginning in 1996. If the police department were to receive lap-top computers as suggested in their 5-Year Plan, this request should not require funding. Additional training in the area of computers will likely be required for the current staff which would also increase efficiency and delay any additional cler/cal positions. Patrol (sworn): A request for one patrol officer in each of the years of 1995, 1996, 1997, and 1998 bringing the total number of sworn officers to 15 (this includes one chief and one sergeant). The rationale given to support the request, is the one officer to each 1,000 residents ratio (which actually would mean we should have 16 by the year 1998, as Ramsey's pr~ected population by the year 1998 is just over 16,000). According to the March 1994 Discussion Draft of the ReDonal Blueprint by the Metropolitan Council, the chart on page 26 compares crime rates for violent offenses (murder, rape, ag~avated assault and robbery) in the core city, central cities, develop~M suburbs and the remainder of the Twin Cites area region. Ramsey, being in the remainder of the Twin Cities area region, shows that our crime rate for violent offenses is only 76.6% of the developed suburbs, which is only 18.9% of the core city. If one would a~ee that the developed suburbs ratio of officer to population should be 1 to 1,000 then Rarnse¥ should have 76.6% of that ratio, or I officer to 1306.12 residents. (This compares to .38 officers per 1,000 in 1988.) That would be !2.35 officers by the year 1998 (which compares to the 15 proposed by the year 1998). In addition to using the ratio of officers to residents, it is most ~mportant to use the number of ICR's (Incident Reports) and shift coverage when deciding the most appropriate staffing level. Using the more general method of 76.6% of the 1/10(X) ratio, staffing could possibly be at 11.26 officers in 1995, 11.62 in 1996, 1 t.99 in 1997 and 12.35 in 1998. Peak periods of activity should receive exploration of temporary, or contract personnel, interns or code enforcement personnel, tt should be noted that this is the only pro~m'arn area of the city projected to incur full-time st. affing increases over the near Patrol (non-sworn): No staffing requests have been made in this area. Page 4