EW police chief outlines need for controlled expansion of department
By:Jennifer Misthal, Journal Inquirer
03/30/2006
EAST WINDSOR - Emphasizing the need for a small and controlled expansion of the Police Department, Chief Edward J. DeMarco included funds for the addition of one new officer in his proposed $2.4 million budget for 2006-07 that was presented to the Board of Finance Wednesday night.
This proposed budget represents nearly a 12 percent increase or $258,000 more than the current year's spending. The budget outlines the needs of a town that has witnessed a 16 percent increase in violent crimes, DeMarco said.
We need to be on a very slow, very controlled expansion," DeMarco said of the department.
The growing needs of both the town and the department cannot be ignored without producing serious consequences, he said.
Adding a new officer to the existing 26-person force would cost $44,532 in salary.
"I need a patrolman on the street right now," DeMarco told the board to underline the department's staffing shortages.
Currently, officers are backlogged with work, Sgt. Michael A. Hannaford said during the two-hour meeting.
"I really feel there's a serious quality of life issue in this town," he said of the high volume of calls the department receives.
Already this year, the department has received more than 4,000 calls.
With a small staff, the department often feels strained when three officers are on leave, which is the situation this week, and often, shifts are run without a ranking supervisor on duty.
"I can't believe we run shifts without ranking officers. McDonald's has managers," Hannaford said.
Of the $2.4 million budget, the department will spend nearly all of that - $2.2 million - on salaries, which is almost an 11 percent increase over the current year.
About $256,000 is left over in the proposed budget to cover other costs such as gas, office equipment, prisoner food, and uniform cleaning.
Training will increase 21.2 percent to $80,000 in the proposal, and $17,651 is allocated for vehicle maintenance, which is a 20.5 percent increase over the current year's spending.
In the proposed budget, gas and oil costs will increase 45 percent, to about $43,600.
At the start of the meeting, Finance Chairman Paul Catino reminded DeMarco of a memo sent to all town department heads in January, asking that only status quo budgets be submitted for the board's review.
"I received your memo. I understand your memo, but I think it's my job to put forth a public safety plan," DeMarco said, explaining his proposed increase of 12 percent.
But DeMarco also submitted a second budget, reflecting only contractual obligations and increases in energy costs. This $2.3 million budget has an increase of about 6.4 percent, or about $139,000 over the current year's spending.
In fact, excluding salaries, the only accounts receiving increases in the second budget are building maintenance - which will receive an additional $200 bringing the account to about $13,300 - and the gas and oil account, expected to increase by 45 percent.
This second proposed budget calls for no additional spending on training or investigatory supplies and keeps office supply spending at status quo.
©Journal Inquirer~2006
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