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M E M O <br /> DATE: June 3, 1998 <br /> TO: Mike Mornson, City Manager <br /> FROM: Dick Engstrom, Chief of Police , <br /> ITEM: Request To Increase Authorized Strength of Police <br /> Department <br /> In response to the Council' s direction at last July 19971s Budget <br /> worksession, I looked into funding under the Federal grant' s <br /> available for hiring- two (2) new police officers to increase the <br /> current authorized strength from twelve police officers to <br /> fourteen. <br /> I applied for the "COPS Universal Hiring Program" last November <br /> 1997 . On May 19th, 1998, we received an award grant in the amount <br /> of $150, 000 . 00 to cover half the costs for the next three years <br /> of salaries and benefits for two additional police officers . These <br /> additional officers will be assigned solely to St . Anthony, - and <br /> will assist in shift coverage,. Federal, State, & Training <br /> Mandates, and community policing. <br /> • We have not added additional sworn personnel since 1988 . We have <br /> in the past ten years increased police responsibilities due to <br /> mandates, public pressures, Supreme Court decisions, and training <br /> .needs . The role of our officers has changed dramatically, and <br /> keeping pace with existing and new police strategies are difficult <br /> at best . <br /> In 1990, we began the DARE program. (K-6th grade) . In 1996, we <br /> began to teach DARE in the 8th grade as well . We have never <br /> replaced the loss of patrol hours due to these programs. <br /> At one time, we had an officer assigned to the East Metro Drug <br /> Task Force for nine months . The strain on the patrol was too <br /> much, so we discontinued. We recovered over $18, 000 in assets, <br /> cash, and autos during that period. <br /> Our scheduling of officers has been both difficult and trying for <br /> the officers . We have been running our St . Anthony shifts short , <br /> during off-peak times to compensate. However, we were over 5600 <br /> hours short personnel in 1998 due to vacations, comp time, sick <br /> time, maternity leave, military leave, and training. We filled <br /> some shifts with overtime, and juggled officer' s schedules at the <br /> cost of burn out and making for unsafe work conditions . <br /> • With the additional officers, we hope to keep up our reputation as. <br /> a "can-do" police department that is able to keep our crime rate <br /> low, by being involved in community policing efforts to' ensure <br />