SFPD proposes $533 million budget, seeks hires and e-citations as commission presses for data

The San Francisco Police Department on March 11 outlined a proposed $533,000,000 budget for fiscal year 2015-16 and a multiyear staffing plan aimed at restoring sworn ranks to the mandated level.

Budget director Carolyn Welsh and department leaders told the Police Commission the department expects $413,000,000 of that total to come from the City general fund, with the remaining revenue made up of state and federal grants, special revenue and charges for services. "88.6% of our budget is salary and fringes," Welsh said during the presentation, noting that labor costs dominate the department's expenses.

Why it matters: the department is pursuing an aggressive hiring schedule to close a gap in sworn staffing. Presenters described a hiring plan of three academy classes per year, about 50 recruits per class, and said the department expects to reach mandated staffing sometime in 2017 if classes and retention go as forecasted. Commissioners and the chief agreed that retirements could delay the timetable.

Key details and priorities - Hiring: The department reported recent academy graduations and projected classes; the chief said three classes of roughly 50 recruits each are planned, with the goal of reaching mandated staffing by late 2017. Commissioners asked how many additional classes would be scheduled if attrition rises.

- Equipment and fleet: The budget includes funds for capital outlay and vehicle replacements. The department said it will receive 50 unmarked cars in the coming year and requested an enhancement to purchase an additional 80 marked vehicles to bring the fleet nearer to best-practice replacement schedules.

- IT and data: Officials proposed four IT projects: $750,000 to continue the crime-data warehouse expansion, $400,000 to upgrade vehicle modem/network connectivity, and a $600,000 request to start an e-citations project enabling officers to issue tickets from smartphones. Welsh said the CoIT funding process favors new projects and that ongoing data-storage costs (estimated in testimony at roughly $1.7 million annually) would need stable funding.

- Other costs: The department flagged workers' compensation and departmental charges as large line items. Presenters said the department's reported workers' compensation budget is about $14.6 million, but they noted roughly $3–3.5 million of that is overhead charged by other city offices (DHR) and that actual claims historically run closer to $11 million.

Questions from the commission Commissioners pressed for more granular breakdowns. Commissioner DeJesus asked about an earlier IT audit and whether outstanding items remain; Welsh agreed to review historical audits. Vice President Turman sought a clearer split of airport reimbursements and the share of general fund support; presenters said the airport reimburses the department and contributes about $53 million in service revenue. Commissioners also asked for a breakdown of the training line within professional services.

Next steps The department will provide follow-up materials requested by commissioners, including training budget details and a more explicit accounting of workers' compensation trends. The budget will be revised by the mayor's office and sent to the Board of Supervisors; the chief said the department will present at those hearings as scheduled.

Ending Commissioners voiced general support for e-citations as a tool to improve traffic-data quality and Vision Zero analysis, but insisted on receiving the detailed data and cost breakdowns requested before endorsing enhancements to the mayor's office and the Board of Supervisors.