2023.08.30 CC Packet - Midyear Budget Review

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Law Enforcement Center • 15015 62nd Street North • P. O. Box 3801 • Stillwater, MN 55082-3801 Telephone: 651-430-7600 • Fax: 651-430-7603 • TTY: 651-430-6246 www.wcso.info Washington County is an equal opportunity organization and employer Office of the Sheriff Commitment to Excellence Dan Starry County Sheriff Douglas H. Anschutz Chief Deputy July 25, 2023 Bryan Bear City Administrator City of Hugo Our goal at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office is to collaborate with the community to provide high-quality public safety services in a responsible manner through innovation, leadership, and the cooperation of dedicated people. The remarkable men and women who comprise the Sheriff’s Office carry out this mission in their work each day, and we strive to provide the citizens of Washington County with the most efficient and cost-effective services possible. In 2023, we prioritized our commitment to the recruitment and retention of the highest-caliber law enforcement professionals possible, in part through competitive wage ranges. Currently in the State of Minnesota there are an unprecedented 189 agencies seeking qualified candidates. I am proud to report our deputy positions are currently fully staffed, allowing us to maintain a highly skilled and qualified team. Despite our achievements in personnel management, we continue to face escalating demands across all the communities we serve, including a sustained increase in agency calls in our patrol division. Over the past three years, we have experienced a 467 percent increase involving people in crisis in our response areas. Just last year, calls for service in the City of Hugo reached over 8,500. For 2024, we are requesting that an additional patrol deputy be added to the Hugo contract for a total of 9 FTE. We feel this addition is essential to effectively meet the public safety expectations and needs of our community. We are asking for the support of the Hugo City Council to approve this request. I am aware of the costs associated with adding an FTE, and I would not ask unless I felt this addition was in the best interest of the residents we serve, and the deputies that are called upon to respond to these calls for service. We value our continued partnership, and we are committed to working together to provide the highest level of public safety services possible. Thank you for your continued trust and I look forward to working together in the years ahead. In service, Dan Starry Sheriff