Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Public Safety topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Utica police chief says department facing large departures, animal‑control strains and revenue pressures from special‑service details
Summary
Police leadership told council the department expects many retirements and other losses that could total roughly a dozen officers or more, described how animal‑control duties are occupying patrol time, and explained that special‑service detail revenue is designed to offset overtime expenses.
The police chief and deputy chief told the council the department faces a wave of staffing losses that will reduce patrol capacity and complicate coverage of special events and contractual details.
The chief said the department expects about 12 officers to depart in the near term through retirements and resignations, and cited four additional long‑term injured officers who likely will not return to street duty. “That puts me down 16 officers,” he said.
Chiefs and council discussed recruitment challenges, including competition from neighboring agencies and the county and the importance of starting salary for new hires. The chief said the department’s starting salary is $66,000 and noted state police starting pay is higher.
On animal control, the chief said the department accepted temporary sheltering and related duties that have drawn patrol officers off the street, and he described contracting with local rescues to manage dogs; he said the current temporary sheltering effort is costing just over $200,000 but that handling animals consumes officer time on patrol.
On special‑service contracts (details such as school security, hospital and event coverage), the deputy chief explained those contracts generate revenue that is paid back as overtime to officers who work the details. “We charge our overtime rate…$79.50 an hour, and then that rate incorporates Social Security, Metro costs,” he said, describing reconciliations that occur at year‑end.
The chief described recent grants and equipment funded by outside grants (for gun‑violence technology and other law‑enforcement tools) and said the department uses grants where possible to avoid burdening taxpayers. Council and staff discussed the COPS grant and SAFER/ARPA funding links used for positions and budget offsets.
Ending: Police leadership asked council to consider recruitment and retention challenges, noted pressures from added non‑police duties such as animal control, and sought continued support for grant‑funded equipment and staffing offsets.
