Committee approves plan to fund additional sworn police recruits, with amendments

A City committee approved a recommendation to fund additional sworn police recruits that would increase annual hiring to roughly 410 officers if the council adopts the recommendation.

Staff said the adopted budget had funded 240 recruits and allowed up to 280 with supplemental steps; the proposal before the committee would provide funding for 130 more sworn officers, bringing the year’s total to 410. Staff identified roughly $3,000,000 in additional costs for the package and proposed using existing departmental savings and a negotiated voluntary overtime bank to help offset some expenses.

The committee discussed implementation and staffing classifications. A member circulated a modification to swap two recommended personnel classifications (one HR specialist role changed to an alternative classification and an analyst role to a primary administrative role); the chair noted the purpose of the amendment was to preserve four authorized positions while better aligning job functions. The committee approved the recommendation as amended; the roll call recorded three votes in favor and one opposed and the item passed.

On savings, staff described a voluntary overtime bank created in negotiations with the police union: roughly $12,000,000 was in the account before $4.4 million had been spent, and staff estimated approximately $4,000,000 of savings had been realized to date. Members asked staff to return with an April analysis on utilization and whether the voluntary overtime model should continue.

Next steps: The committee approved the amended recommendation and will forward the item to the full council. Staff will continue monitoring overtime‑bank usage and report back on April analysis and fiscal impacts for the upcoming budget year.