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Police chief reports staffing buffer, falling crime and expanding 'brain health' therapy program
Summary
Police Chief Booker T. Hodges told the council March 31 the department is currently staffed six officers over authorization but faces projected retirements; crime is down about 8% over three years and the department’s free crisis therapy program has exceeded capacity.
Police Chief Booker T. Hodges delivered the Bloomington Police Department’s organizational update on March 31, reporting current staffing above budgeted levels, multi-year retirement pressure, a recent decline in overall crime and rapid growth of a free therapeutic program the department operates.
Chief Hodges told the council the department currently sits six officers over authorized staffing but that retirement eligibility could remove as many as nine officers across this year and next — four eligible this year and five next — which he said would create shortfalls because it takes roughly 18 months to get a recruit fully trained and field ready. He said the department has used a cadet program to hire officers more reflective of the community.
Hodges said overall crime in Bloomington has fallen about 8% over the last three years, though he cautioned residents that neighborhood incidents remain meaningful to the people directly affected and pointed to a recent concentrated string of vehicle break-ins near the Great Wolf area. He identified human trafficking and political violence as two issues he expects to require attention over the next three to five years.
The chief highlighted the Bloomington Community Brain Health Services program, a partnership that provides immediate, free therapeutic services to people in crisis. Hodges reported the program has been busier than anticipated: staff tracked 74 individuals and couples and 477 psychotherapy sessions in February and said the program had exceeded current capacity. The program offers up to eight free therapy sessions to participants and is also being used in diversion work with the city attorney’s office for eligible cases, he said.
Hodges also noted fiscal pressures the department faces: rising vehicle costs for patrol cars, higher uniform and equipment prices and ongoing salary pressures. He said he will raise staffing and budget questions as the city’s budget process continues.
The chief closed by thanking the council for its support, noting recent awards for the department’s shared-values initiative and the brain health program, including a Minnesota Ethical Leadership Award and recognition from the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association.
Ending: Chief Hodges said staff will continue to monitor retirements and training timelines and that the department will work with the council on budget issues to sustain staffing, vehicle and program needs.
