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Mayor proposes $399 million police budget; plans include civilianization and multiple academy classes
Summary
Chief financial staff reported the mayor's proposed police budget would rise to about $399 million, a $42 million general fund increase, and include funding to move academy classes from grant to general fund support, purchase patrol vehicles and pilot in'car cameras. Civilianization aims to free officers for field duty.
Ken Bukowski, the department's chief financial officer, briefed the commission on the mayor's February budget submission for the San Francisco Police Department. He said the department's proposed budget would increase from about $365 million to $399 million and that the rise includes roughly $42 million in additional general fund support, in part because items previously paid with grants are being shifted to general fund. Bukowski singled out roughly $26 million tied to converting academy classes and related costs from grant support to general fund.
The budget also proposes 30 new patrol vehicles, five unmarked cars and an in'car camera pilot, and proposes approximately $3,000,000 in capital planning funds primarily for a new crime lab in coordination with the medical examiner. Bukowski said COIT approved about $1.7 million for IT infrastructure and that the department expects new IT positions recommended by the Gartner study to be funded in line with budget requests.
On hiring, Bukowski said the plan would fund five proposed academy classes in 2007'08 and that the city is targeting a hiring goal of roughly 250 recruits per year, which after attrition could yield about 360 new officers over time. Commissioners asked how the MOU costs would be accounted for; Bukowski said the controller and budget analysts were finalizing MOU estimates and that the department expected those numbers to be added to the department's budget once confirmed.
Commissioners also asked about station facilities and ongoing DPW work orders for maintenance. Bukowski acknowledged several district stations need repairs and said short'term maintenance funds and DPW work orders cover day'to'day issues, while larger projects receive specific funding requests.
