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SFPD proposes $583 million budget, highlights hiring push and major technology gap
Summary
SFPD leaders told the Police Commission that the departmentis seeking about $583 million for FY20172018, with most money for salaries and benefits, investments for police-reform training and a multi-year technology request that far exceeds expected information-technology allocations.
SFPD Chief financial officer Catherine Maguire outlined a proposed FY20172018 budget of about $583 million and said salaries and benefits will consume roughly 87 to 90 percent of the departments spending.
The presentation to the San Francisco Police Commission on Feb. 8 described revenue sources (the general fund accounts for about 78 percent of department sources; state revenues total roughly $53 million and federal grants total about $744,000) and a near-term funding gap in technology. Maguire said the department requested roughly $5 million for five priority technology projects (including a crime-data warehouse, e-citations and enterprise content management) and another $4.6 million for 10 additional projects; historically the Committee on Information Technology has funded $1to $1.5 million in any given year.
"We are primarily a general-fund agency," Maguire said. "All of our grant funding represents overtime" rather than permanent positions, she added, noting most grant dollars sit in the crime lab. Maguire also described a sustained hiring plan: the department aims to reach a 1,971 full-duty sworn staffing level by December 2017 through ongoing academy classes and maintenance recruits.
Commissioners pressed for clarity on reform-related spending. Commissioner (first referenced by roll call) asked whether the departments $100,000 evaluation and auditing line would be sufficient for outside academic or consulting work; Maguire said the department would run a competitive procurement and that the amountis a starting point. Commissioners also questioned whether federal grant risk tied to sanctuary-policy disputes could threaten specific funds; Maguire said she had no knowledge of grant agreements containing immigration-cooperation clauses and emphasized that the grant line in question is small relative to citywide budget risks.
The budget packet also flagged fleet and capital needs: the department estimates replacing roughly 138 vehicles per year and said the FY1718 base budget funds 31 vehicles; it will seek funding for roughly 100 additional vehicles to address aging fleet shortfalls. Maguire described capital projects including a Forensic Services and Traffic Company building planned to break ground in 2017 with an anticipated 2020 opening.
Public commenters and commission members urged stronger, sustained IT funding and suggested outside consultants be considered to craft a multi-year technology strategy. "The public face of the department, which is our website, needs to be more user friendly," Maguire said. Commissioners signaled ongoing oversight and follow-up as the department continues negotiations with the mayors office and the Board of Supervisors.
The Commission did not take a final budget vote at the meeting; commissioners continued Q&A and public comment on the departments reform and technology requests.
