While
San Jose residents and leaders alike are fretting over recent police and fire
staffing cuts to fill budget holes, a new IBM analysis requested by Mayor Chuck
Reed suggests the city’s public safety departments are overstaffed and
inefficient. (LINK BELOW)
Reed has scheduled a discussion of the report Wednesday at
the City Council agenda-setting committee he leads. He wants the committee to
have the city manager and auditor look it over and use the analysis to develop
budget recommendations for the council.
“The IBM analysis will be of
great interest and value as we attempt to restore some of the services that have
been cut over the last decade,” Reed said. “In my review of the report, it is
clear that, as we restore services, we should not assume that we will rebuild
our organization exactly as it was before the cuts.”
But officers and
firefighters blasted the report’s suggestions, which come as Reed and other city
leaders are preparing for a battle with employee unions over a June ballot
measure on reducing future increases in pension benefits, a key driver of city
budget deficits.
“Our staffing is the lowest it’s been in decades, and
it’s insane to think we can go lower,” said Jim Unland, president of the San
Jose Police Officers’ Association, whose ranks were reduced last year by the
layoff of 66 officers and a rash of retirements of cops whose positions faced
cuts.
The IBM analysis argued that crime has fallen in San Jose since
1980 and police staffing could be reduced accordingly. If San Jose increased
police “productivity” — crimes per full-time police position — to levels
it had in the 1980s or those in other large cities, the report said, the
city could cut some 400 police jobs and save up to $60 million.
The
report further argued that the department could get better results by using data
analysis to target officers in high-crime areas and times of day.
The
analysis included all department staff, not just sworn officers, whose ranks
have dropped from about 1,375 in 2009 to 1,099 today. The report noted that
“these are not easy changes” and would need to be “well thought
out.”
Unland called them crazy.
“Anyone who thinks that we can cut
300 to 400 more police from our force doesn’t understand the nature of police
work,” Unland said. “The city’s No. 1 priority should bethe protection of its
citizens. Clearly our mayor has other priorities.
The report said that San
Jose spends more per fire department staffer than comparable cities, including
San Francisco and Los Angeles.
With firefighters now spending most of
their time on medical calls, the report suggested many could be replaced by
private paramedics or firefighters from other departments to lower
costs.
Robert Sapien, president of the San Jose Firefighters union,
argued that IBM is only seeking to boost its own business providing services
that help cities use technology to fight crime and fires.
“They want San
Jose to cut an additional 350 to 400 police officers and 150 firefighters, and
then buy their computers and consultants to predict where crimes and fires will
occur,” Sapien said.
“This Ouija board gamble is nothing more than a
risky scheme to boost their corporate bottom line.”
Police and fire
leaders were more diplomatic in their response, but echoed the rank and file in
their skepticism of the report’s recommendations.
“Suffice it to say we
think there’s no question we’re at the lowest we can go at 1,099 officers,” said
Assistant Police Chief Rikki Goede.
Added Fire Chief Willie McDonald: “My
professional observation is that the department is very lean and that running
with fewer firefighters than we already have would not be a recommendation I
would have made.”
The report also concluded that San Jose spends less on
parks than comparable cities and that the department could do more to generate
revenue.
Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio, a Reed ally, offered an
alternative idea for the police department, which Reed’s committee also will
take up Wednesday. Oliverio proposed fixing the police share of the city’s
operating budget at some percentage through a voter-approved charter
change.
The police department currently receives 34.7 percent of the
city’s $885.8 million general-fund budget, he said.
Asked about the IBM
report, Oliverio was skeptical of reducing police staffing, arguing that there
always are more things for officers to do.
“With more officers you can do
more things,” Oliverio said.
“If there’s no major crime, fine, you can
give out tickets for speeding, assist with code enforcement, all the things we
never have time to enforce.”
LINK TO THE REPORT AND ENTIRE ARTICLE HERE:
Courtesy:
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_19890479
