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Police chief stresses response times, says staffing is measured by coverage not raw headcount
Summary
La Porte’s police chief told residents that patrol staffing is evaluated by response times and minimum staffing levels; the chief said the department handles about 27,000 calls a year with average response times around five to six minutes and that consolidated coverage would be managed citywide.
Residents repeatedly raised public-safety concerns during the town-hall, asking whether consolidation would reduce the frequency of patrols in Shore Acres. David Grady, a Shore Acres resident, asked whether the previously mentioned numbers (as few as four or five officers on patrol) were adequate for a roughly 19-square-mile area.
The Police Chief (speaker 10) responded that the city measures staffing needs by minimum staffing thresholds and response times rather than a universal officer-per-square-mile metric: “When we say, we have 39 officers... among those and in addition to those, we have 8 DOT officers... So in reality, if when we say 4, very rarely does it happen…and so it's more than likely gonna be 6, 7, or 8 with access to a number of other officers,” he said. The chief cited roughly 27,000 calls for service in the prior year and an average response time of about five to six minutes. City Manager Orby Alexander and others said Shore Acres would remain a recognized community within La Porte and that park and city-staff presence would add visibility even if routine patrol patterns change.
Officials did not promise identical patrol patterns after consolidation, and the chief said coverage “will just look different” though he did not expect a reduced level of service. Residents were told that if staff observes that service levels are inadequate, the city would consider staffing changes through normal budget and personnel channels.
