Kelly To Address NYPD Staffing Dilemma
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Police Commissioner Ray Kelly is expected to address a City Council committee Tuesday over a plan to put more officers on the streets despite the city's budget constraints. NY1's Lily Jamali filed the following report.The last time Police Commissioner Ray Kelly testified before the City Council, he had bad news about an upcoming police academy class.
It's a dilemma -- maintaining a steady patrol force in tough economic times, when crime tends to grow. The mayor's preliminary budget calls for a force of 33,217 in 2010. According to a report Monday by the Independent Budget Office, that would be the smallest number since 1990.
City Councilman Peter Vallone Jr. chairs the council's public safety committee. He says to strengthen the NYPD's street presence, officers doing desk jobs could be put back out on patrol with lower-paid civilians taking on the jobs they leave behind. But, he says, the mayor's proposed budget would do the opposite.
"Every time there are cuts, civilians go first and that's what happened in this budget. Because no one wants to cut police so they cut the civilians. The police are then forced off the streets into civilian jobs," said Vallone.
At least 467 full-duty officers are doing jobs that could be done by civilians -- analysts, technicians and bookkeepers, among others.
The council speaker's office estimates replacing them with civilians could save about $27,000 per position.
Instead, 469 civilian jobs are on the verge of being cut under the current budget proposal, something the IBO says will probably result in more clerical jobs being performed by officers.
Not surprisingly, the union representing the clerical workers says it doesn't add up.
"The mayor's still looking to save money. Well you can save money. Easy. Take those police officers that are doing our job for years and still doing it and if you can put them out on the street they can save money," said Local 1549 President Eddie Rodriguez.
Critics of the proposal say it's not so easy because police officers bring an institutional knowledge to the jobs they perform. According to the IBO report, the department argues it would see losses to its law enforcement and emergency response capabilities overall.
The NYPD declined to comment until Tuesday, when Commissioner Kelly is expected to field questions on the topic as well as others from Vallone's committee.