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Form B-3 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />REQUEST FOR PERSONAL SERVICE CHANGES <br /> <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Department: <br />Public Safety – Police Division <br /> <br />Supervisor: <br />John Swenson, Public Safety Director <br /> <br />Position Title: <br />Police Officer (2) <br />Budget Impact: <br />$109,079 each <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />Justification for change: <br /> <br />Since 2012, the council has discussed police staffing on multiple occasions and staff has <br />prepared staffing studies for council consideration. These staffing reports provided information <br />on different metrics (population and availability rate) used to determine proper police staffing <br />levels. These staffing studies were presented to the council on July 1, 2013, August 5, 2013, <br />and May 4, 2015. Police staffing was also discussed as part of the 2020 and 2015 budget <br />preparation. The 2020 discussion resulted in the no additional police personnel and the 2015 <br />discussion resulted in one police officer position bringing the number of sworn police staff to 26 <br />for 2015. <br /> <br />The previous police staffing studies demonstrate that based on the different metrics, Lino Lakes <br />is currently under staffed with respect to sworn police staff. Further demonstrating the need for <br />additional police staffing are the increases in service demands over the last several years. <br />These increased service demands correlated with on-going growth within the City. <br /> <br />During the 2018 budgeting process, the Council decided to retain one police officer position that <br />had been funded with a traffic safety grant. The retention of this police officer position <br />maintained the police staffing at 27 sworn police officer positions. Due to staff turnover and <br />training of new police officers, we have not been able to continue with the traffic safety position. <br /> <br />Please note that 2018 police staff level of 27 sworn staff was the same police staffing level of <br />2010; we are operating in 2020 with the same number of police sworn staff as 2010. <br /> <br />The police officer positions requested for 2019 and 2020 were not funded. It is staff <br />recommendation that we add two police officer positions in 2021 bringing the number of police <br />officer positions to 29. If approved, staff would increase the minimum staff on the day and <br />afternoon shifts to three police officers. These shifts are the busiest shifts at this time and this <br />increase in staffing would allow staff to better respond to service demands. <br /> <br /> Some of the advantages of scheduling a minimum of three police personnel are: <br />• better coverage throughout the 33 square miles of the city, <br />50