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Staffing study finds San Marcos police provide strong service but flags dispatch and specialty staffing shortfalls
Summary
Matrix Consulting told the San Marcos City Council that the police department handles about 26,000 annual calls and generally meets response benchmarks, but recommended adding roughly 74.5 sworn officers, 39 professional staff and 11 dispatchers over 10 years; council was asked to consider funding and grant options during upcoming budget talks.
Matrix Consulting Group presented a comprehensive staffing and workload analysis to the San Marcos City Council at a Feb. 17 work session, concluding that the San Marcos Police Department delivers a generally high level of service but needs targeted staffing increases in dispatch and specialty units.
"The police department provides an exceptional level of service to the community," John Scruggs, senior manager at Matrix Consulting Group, told council as he summarized the firm’s multi-method review of calls for service, staffing and deployment.
The study examined roughly 26,000 community-generated calls for service and found that the department’s median response to a priority-1 emergency averaged about 8.3 minutes — near common benchmarks. Matrix reported the department’s proactive time (time available for officer-initiated work) at about 59% overall but noted dips during some peak weekend hours.
Where Matrix identified the largest shortfall was in dispatch. The firm recommended 11 additional dispatchers to meet industry best practices and to reduce on-air and keyboarding overload that can result from sustained high call volumes. The consultants also recommended increases in investigative analysts, digital-forensics capacity and administrative/training staff.
Looking 10 years ahead, Matrix said projected population growth of about 50% would increase service demand and recommended hiring approximately 74.5 sworn positions and 39 professional staff over that period to maintain current service levels. Scruggs acknowledged that the 74.5 figure is a projection that reflects both "catch-up" staffing needs that accumulated over prior years and future growth.
Council members pressed department staff and the consultant for operational details. A department representative said the department currently staffs about 30 dispatch positions and operates multiple consoles, with the department testing a second console during some peak hours to relieve load. Officials said the city has capacity in its dispatch space but is reaching higher console usage during busy periods.
Council members also asked how community input was incorporated. Scruggs said Matrix used five community sessions (three in person, two virtual), interviews with command and field personnel, and quantitative records including CAD and calls-for-service data; he cautioned that listening sessions are qualitative and that formal surveys are used where verified quantitative analysis is needed.
Staff framed the next steps as policy and budget decisions. Lonzo Anderson, assistant city manager, said the study’s recommendations will feed into upcoming budget-policy discussions, and that concrete funding decisions will follow once the certified tax roll is available in July and during August budget workshops.
A council member flagged a state grant opportunity — the Motor Vehicle Crime Prevention Authority — that historically covers 80% of eligible positions with a 20% match (which can include in-kind contributions). Staff said the city will evaluate such grants and bring any grant-funded staffing proposals back to council for approval.
The presentation closed with staff asking council to identify any specific direction they want carried into budget policy; staff said they would return to council with more detailed cost implications and options.
The council did not take a formal vote on the study during the work session; members were asked to review the full report and discuss funding priorities during scheduled budget-policy meetings.
