At the April 13 OV Council Budget Study Session, among the items, was a discussion on the very contentious police budget.
Probably the most interesting piece of information from this discussion was the fact that Police Chief Danny Sharp, who had previously determined that 6 officers from the Community Action Team were the lowest priority, and scheduled for potential layoffs was no longer appropriate.
Subsequent to the earlier budget meeting, the chief and council members Kunisch & Gilaspie held a meeting. Chief Sharp then came up with a brand new proposal that was submitted for the first time at the Study Session The new proposal now has five police personnel to be cut back. This includes the following:
Three sworn officers (one reserve, two patrol) a dispatcher and a part time records specialist.
We have determined that Council members Garner, Carter, Abbott & Latas knew nothing of the aforementioned meeting or proposal until Mayor Loomis mentioned it in passing at the study session..
What a way to do business----keeping four council members in the dark!
One other note of importance. This new proposal offers less than 2% savings off the overall police operating budget, that is approximately 50% of the total Oro Valley operating budget.
This police proposal pales in comparison to what other department heads have offered to date, with an average savings of over 10% per department.
Additionally, the Oro Valley police department's operating budget is at 50%. This compares with other Az police departments, whose budget is at 28-30% of a municipality's overall budget.
Below are articles and videos from KVOA & KGUN who were present at the meeting.
Two points of interest.
1) Al Kunisch, pounding the table, in a loud boisterous tone said.
'Take The Six Officers Off The Table Now!" The mayor, to his credit set Kunisch straight, and let him know there was no vote, and he (Kunisch) doesn't determine how many officers are enough.
2) After the meeting, Chris Palic of the police union was quoted on air as saying: "We are confident that we can work together with our council continue to educate them and continue to come up with different ways in lieu of layoffs."
This, by the way is the same guy that is all over the airways with the union ad chastising Town Manager David Andrews and some council members including Garner & Carter.
Officer Palic ought to decide:
'Does he want to work with the council, that certainly doesn't need him to "educate them," or does he want to continue ripping them at every opportunity?
I think it's fair to say it's Palic that is offending and alienating many citizens of Oro Valley.
Read & watch the news coverage here
http://www.kvoa.com/Global/story.asp?S=10177939&nav=menu216_3
http://www.kvoa.com/global/video/flash/popupplayer.asp?clipId1=3649826&at1=News&vt1=v&h1=Oro+Valle
http://www.kgun9.com/Global/story.asp?S=10177943&nav=menu1456_2
14 comments:
So why did Chief Sharp initially want to cut the six cops instead of coming up with these cuts to begin with?
Is it because he knew about the grant money and wanted to go after that?
Or is it because if he offered up other budget cuts first, he wouldn't have the unions pouring money into fighting for the jobs?
It's wrong for the union ads to target Council members like it was their idea to cut cops instead of Sharp's.
I think it's also strange that the unions are targeting the town manager's salary when I heard that Chief Sharp makes over $140k per year and has a take-home vehicle (as do many police officers) and the town manager doesn't.
I also heard that the police department spent $22k on a recruitment video in January, even though the Council implemented a hiring freeze last October.
Yes OV Mom----you heard correctly on the issues you referred to.
While the police union were and still are looking to make David Andrews & Bill Garner & KC Carter the scapegoats, they refuse to accept the reality of the budget crisis our town is facing.
The public relations pendulum will swing mightly against the police department if they continue their tactics of fear, intimidation, and deceit in this battle.
They have positioned themselves against ordinary citizens and the citizens are starting to take notice. It looks like anyone who speaks out against the police dept faces retribution. How far will this retribution go if things don't go their way?
This is a great process to follow to see if a democracy exists in OV or will it dissolve into anarchy.
Hi "Turtle"---- With support such as yours, I'm hopeful some of our citizens, particularly the ladies who have confided in me, will see fit to publicize their respective encounters with Oro Valley police officers.
I know they have not done so as they fear what you suggest----retribution.
Perhaps the following could be in order:
Since the OVPD is perpetually using
the Town Manager's salary as a chip in their argument(s), then let Council offer them the same approach that was taken when the Town Manager's salary was determined; it is very simple: the Town Manager's salary was based on the average of what other towns in Arizona were paying their Managers. So, working from that 'formula', just advise the OVPD that we will be approving their budget based on the average of same, 28%, and let the Department adjust to that figure however they wish to disburse the resultant amount - cut force, buy their own pencils, lower salaries, or whatever; just cut!
By slurping up over 50% of the Town's budget, this department is taking money away from other programs that could be of great benefit to the community - recreational, educational, promotional, etc. Not only that but think of the ADDITIONAL income that this Town might be able to generate IF it had the ADDITIONAL funds to work with that are being denied us by a bloated force and accessories. And, if the potential for grant money is in play here (which I am philosophically against), then let the department do with it what they want IF AND WHEN it would become a reality.
And Council (and potentials), you can be assured that when election time comes for each and all of you, among other issues, there will be revelations made that, if you allow it to continue that the tail wag the dog, then your chances for (re)election may be severely hampered.
When I heard of the 22k recruitment video (as I watched the camera guys film the police cars driving with their lights on up and down Rancho Vistoso) I was infuriated at first. In speaking with one of the "directors" and one of the Officers accompanying them, I asked about the video. I also asked why they would be filming a recruitment video: 1.During a hiring freeze
2. When facing layoffs
and 3. when the town has no money.
I was informed that the recruitment video and all costs associated with it was being paid for from "RICO" (I may be wrong on the name) money. This being siezed money from illegal operations that is set aside for departments to do such things as Oro Valley was doing.
This made me feel better that they were not spending the town's money in the middle of a budget crunch.
Artmarth
Please tell of these "encounters" that these ladies that have confided in you have supposedly had and how long ago these were.
Many people have suggested of these "terrible" encounters or dealings with the police but do not tell about them. It appears that they are just trying to sway opinion away from the police in their anti-cop propaganda pushing some agenda.
"LBC09"---- I am not at liberty to discuss encounters by others who confided in me.
I'm sure, this will not satisfy your curiosity, but, if and when the individuals that were impacted feel they want to "go public," that's when you'll hear the details.
Artmarth,
I can respect that. I would expect the same.
I just hope that these people are not mad at the police simply because they were ticketed and have not let go of the grudge or because they were arrested and are bitter towards the ones that caught them.
Rico money is and can be used for a lot of entities; the question still remains: why did the Department in question feel the need to spend a portion of it in the manner that they
did? After all, as the Town is trying to 'wind down' appropriations and in order to do so the PD most probably should have to reduce the size of it's force, a RECRUITMENT video is one of the last items the Department should be spending money for. So, whether or not it's money from RICO or from 'out of the sky', a recruitment video at this time is not a smart expenditure.
lbc09, I would say that most of us are not "anti cop" we are just anti tactic and the against the potential of a gathering 'storm'. Police should not try to overwhelm a community, they should try to understand it and make their contributory adjustments; balance is in order!
Confidential sources are just that, confidential. Many persons use a pseudonym for this site as you do lbc09; isn't that an example of anonymity? What's the difference?
LBC09---- I'm pleased to see your understanding response. Although I wasn't planning on saying any more on this subject, allow me to assure you these "episodes" had nothing whatsoever with being ticketed.
A ticket doesn't come close to the actual issues.
lbc09, in a particular case that I am
familiar with, the individual is not
merely trying to foment anti cop propaganda (as you suggest); it is a very real, very lengthy, and a very disturbing situation! I myself have received information forwarded to me anonymously, information which upon analysis appears to be a valid dissection of a portion of the requested PD budget with commentary by a person very obviously on the 'inside'. I do not know who this person is, I do not know why the information was sent to me, but, if I did know the 'who', believe me, I would not divulge that information. Confidentiality is to be honored when confidentiality is requested; when information is forwarded in anonymity then I can assume
that though the sender might wish to remain 'unknown', the information, not requested to be confidential, is open for 'publication'.
Wow we have a real brain thrust among us with languagebordersculture09's comment in regards that they feel much better now that the police said the cost of the video was being paid through RICO funds. These funds come from seized assets of drug dealers and the like and can be used to fund a variety of various items. I understand according to Chief Sharp in a recent meeting I heard him say that they used these funds to buy a water heater to replace one that broke. If the police department was serious about cost containment then this video should have never been produced. Another example of mismanagement by the police department command staff. If they were so compelled to produce this video then why not allow the high school or college video production students produce it a no charge or reduced price. Heck, they even could have used their school resource officers to assist in coordinating the effort with the school district. The Town Manager in November 2008 notified all department heads that the Town was facing a difficult budget year coming up and to look at cost savings prior to the new budget cycle. Just because you are operating under balanced budget conditions does not give any department head the latitude to just continue to spend away dollars. This video is a nice to have and is not something that had to be produced in order to maintain the safety of the citizens. When is the police department command staff going to wake up and understand that you cannot be 50 percent of the overall Town operating budget and expect to run the police department as business as usual. Show some fiscal responsibility and come up with some real cost savings, and certainly not the plan B proposal that was introduced at Monday night's study session. That proposal would only shave less than 2 percent off the entire operating budget of the police department. Maybe if the union officials and police officers would start offering some real suggestions to members of Council, instead of running slam campaigns all over the radio then results could be accomplished. I think it is time for the citizens to demand action of the police command staff to actual manage their department instead of hiding behind the unions and allowing them to drive the ship. Next time you see a police officer on the street ask them if they could explain how much money was spent on the radio ads, and if their union dues would have been put to a much better use to produce an informative video about what they do as an Oro Valley Police Officer.
AMEN, Common Sense Thinker!
However, I think it's time the Council and/or the Town Manager DEMAND that the OVPD/Union comes up with a VIABLE ABSOLUTE for cost cutting. There comes a time when one has to put their foot down and tell a bratty child, that's enough! The PD/Union have come up with no realistic solution and statistically their budget exceeds the average in Arizona by approximately 22% more of a bite into the overall budget. Time to put the foot DOWN and say, 'here's what you get, now deal with it' and if you can't, well, 'so long chief' we will get someone who can. It is time the Town stops pussyfooting around a Force that tries to intimidate, blathers the public, and proffers a menagerie of unsubstantiated claims of need.
And, for those of you who think I am a Cop hater or whatever, this is not about Cops, its about a Force out of control!
Quite frankly, I am tired of taking my time in trying to awaken the various elements of this community into awareness. It's time the Council took the burden off of the constituents and settle this issue once and for all. If you want to continue in office, then get this 50 percent+ insult to our Town's budget off of our backs. Thinker nailed the issue; now its time to nail the solution!
OVMom,
You have a eye for focusing on the real issues, not personalities. I like that.
Measuring consitutent satisfaction in dealing with each department might be another way to determine budget cuts. Let's look at it like a TOV report card.
My personal PD experience, with the exception of some outstanding individual officers, is 35% after some 50+ encounters.
Town Manager Andrews, whose prompt, insightful, consistent response to my three contacts rates a 95%. He works for his salary.
Fear, "Winning by Intimidation" describes what you see the PD strategy to be. Their approach seems emotionally based rather that actual accomplishments. As Art mentioned this plays out with the feelings of his two women confidants. They fear police retaliation. I concur with your impression.
Art, thanks for guarding your sources until they decide to reveal themselves. You demonstrate to OV your journalistic integrity.
Zev,
You honed in precisely on the issue...let the Police Union produce a viable, equitable with other like AZ communities, solution to the economic knife. Why should any department be exempt when we all are tightening the financial belt? For some constituents it was disturbing when Chief Sharp could not explain where the $5K increase for costs came from for estimated police services for the July 4 event. It hints of a lackadaisal attitude towards spending.
Some of John Musoff's suggestions complete with "pencils" at the TOV meeting for police budgeting were well thought out, not essential but luxury expenses, gravy not the meat and potatoes.Thanks to both of you for your clear thinking.
lbc09,
Your questioning of the recruitment video gives hope and Common Sense Thinker's idea of asking students to produce it satifies needs for both. What is any department doing spending 22K on a luxury item in these crisis times?
For the Council people who are holding the bar high for the Police Department, I applaud your fiscal responsibility in the face of intimidation and reputation thrashing. Your constituents value your integrity while under such scrutiny and support you.
Thank you,
Native Spirit
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