Transcript FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT

FUNDING FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENCIES
IN BERGEN COUNTY
BERGEN COUNTY PROSECUTOR’S
OFFICE
September 22, 2010
HISTORY
• POST 1894 BOROUGH BOOM
• 69 MUNICIPALITIES
• 70 POLICE AGENCIES
• 2900 POLICE OFFICERS
BENEFITS
• Only 1 T1 line to the NJSP
• T1 lines to ALL municipal departments
• T1 lines to other agencies
• T1 costs almost 6k per year or 4.2 million/yr
• Total IT system cost 7 million
• Annual subsidy 1 to 1.5 million
PROBLEMS
• INCREASING WORKLOAD FOR POLICE
• AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY INCREASING
– **gangs, ID theft, Internet Crimes, DV etc
• TIGHTENING BUDGETS
– Lower caps
– Higher fringe costs
PUBLIC SENTIMENT
• While the vast majority of today’s public
continues to expect a high level of public
security and safety, there is an equally strong
sentiment, albeit inconsistent, that is urging
our public officials to reduce our financial
commitment to public safety.
• How do we reconcile these two perfectly valid
public demands?
THE CATCH 22
• We cannot look to the public safety budget as a
total panacea for relief:
– Most Police budgets are tight
– Salary & Wage comprise the bulk
– Fixed costs comprise the largest %
• BUT CHANGING HOURS, CUTTING POSITIONS
AND USING CIVILIANS IS NOT THE AUTOMATIC
ANSWER EITHER
LETS ASK OUR MOST IMPORTANT
PERSON—
• Remember “Joe the Plumber”?? He or she is our
resident and an expert on their life, their family and
their careers. Each depends on the local governing
body to plow their streets, fight their fires and keep
them safe.
• What have our residents been hearing for the past year
or more?
• POLICE CUTS—PUBLIC OUTCRY—UNSUPPORTED FACTS
EQUALS FEAR.
THE ALTERNATIVE
• WELL THOUGHT OUT AND DOCUMENTED
PLANS THAT ACCOMPLISH EACH
COMMUNITY’S PUBLIC NEEDS
• INPUT FROM OUR MOST VALUABLE PUBLIC
SAFETY RESOURCE
• FULL AND FAIR PUBLIC DISCLOSURE
AVAILABLE PLANS
• SHARED SERVICES
– Can be for dispatch, detective bureau, traffic bureau,
buildings/facilities or equipment
• CONTRACT SERVICES
• MERGER
– 2 or more Departments keep their own identity but
patrol a region, not a jurisdictional one
• CONSOLIDATION
– New Department and new identity, leading by
Commission
WHERE WE FAIL
• Ignore levels of service, staff numbers,
population served and call volumes
• Talk behind closed doors
• Ignore local police input
• Focus on the short term and not the long
• Treat the police as numbers
• Forget a true cost/benefit analysis
• Forget operational issues
Our Laws
• The Borough/City Attorney
• Consolidated Municipal Services Act NJSA
40:48B-1
• Interlocal Services Act NJSA 40:8A-1
OUR PLAN
• FOLLOW OUR GUIDELINES AND OUR OFFICE
WILL USE FORFEITED FUNDS TO DEFRAY THE
ENTIRE COST OF A SOUND, RESPONSIBLE
STUDY THAT WILL GIVE YOU THE TOOLS
NECESSARY TO (1) EDUCATE THE PUBLIC ON
THE PROBLEMS FACED AND (2) ALLOW YOU
TO MAKE A GOOD DECISION.
WHAT A GOOD STUDY DOES AND
DOES NOT DO
• DOES:
– Allow for public education
– Allow for both police and public input
– Allows you to make an informed decision that the
public may or not agree with but which they will
TRUST since they know what you know
– Doesn’t assume that the only answer is to slash and
burn
• DOES NOT:
– Make the decision for you
– The final decision is still yours
THE PLAN
• Forfeited funds/non taxpayer dollars
• No matching
• INITIATE by (1) letter of intent and (2) Resolutions
from each participating town. LETTER MUST BE
RECEIVED BY JUNE 30, 2011
• Next Step: Joint meeting with BCPO
ONCE APPROVED
• Public Bid or County Cooperative
• BCPO bid review and Commitment letter
– “Qualified Bidders”
• Preparation of Memorandum of Understanding
• MUNICIPAL AWARD OF CONTRACT
CONDITIONS
• The study must satisfy the following:
– The governing body may review the Report in
Caucus for no more than 30 days from receipt but
then it must be released to the Public and Media
– The Study MUST seek and incorporate local Police
Input on ANY issue that involved Public Safety and
costs. This would be handled through the Chief or
top LE Official.
And…
Conditions continued..
• HAVE AS AN INTEGRAL COMPONENT A SPECIFIC
STUDY AND FINDINGS ON WHAT IMPACT THE
RECOMMENDATIONS AND ALTERNATIVES MIGHT
HAVE ON THE PUBLIC SAFETY OF THOSE SERVED
• This includes staffing, labor and cost
recommendations, tables of organization,
“Appropriate Authority” designation, expected
coverage and call ratios, population service
requirements, anticipated overtime issues,
retirement and attrition expectations as opposed to
layoff considerations, cost benefit assumptions, and
IT considerations.
PUBLIC INPUT
• Public Hearings—A MINIMUM OF 2
– First must be not less than 2 weeks after report
released
– Second not less than 2 weeks after the first
THE DECISION
• Towns free to negotiate, talk and analyze
• Must decide within 6 months from the date
the report is released unless time is extended,
especially if town(s) elect to place certain
questions or matters up for referendum vote
• Decision is yours and yours to make. You may
accept or reject….BUT
ARBITRARINESS
• You will risk having the grant revoked if you fail to
follow the Plan Guidelines, but most importantly –
• YOU CANNOT IGNORE THE STUDY’S PUBLIC SAFETY
FINDINGS!
• If we can accomplish significant savings and maintain a
safe public safety environment, especially over a longer
term and through the least drastic means, then we
should not ignore this advice just for the sake of today.
QUESTIONS
Conditions continued..