The following is from the: Know Your Police Department" Document Prepared By Chief Sharp
Q. Why did the Police Department’s approved FY 2011/2012 budget increase by 4.6%?
Chief Sharp’s Answer: “The Fleet and IT programs, along with their budgets, returned to the Police Department as it was in FY 2008/2009. These transfers provide operational efficiencies and offset unintended overtime expenses.”
Improved efficiencies and less overtime? I don’t think so, Chief.
My take: The transfers back to the Police Budget happened because the Chief knows that the Police Department’s Budget is “untouchable” now that the “gang of five” is in control.
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Seems that budget masters did some slight of hand: "Shuffling the deck chairs.” Some costs that were in other budgets have been shuffled over to the police budget.
One full time IT (information technology) position will now be paid from the Police Budget and not from the Information Technology Department Budget. The information technologist does not have to be a police officer, just as developing accounting software reporting requirements does not require a finance expert. This is why the police officer technology position was originally consolidated into the Information Technology Department in 2009/2010. Moving this position from the IT Budget back to the Police Budget protects the position even though there is no one qualified in the Police Department to supervise and manage this IT person. The only reasonable conclusion for this transfer is that the Chief wants to tuck this position in a safe place: There's no safer place than the Police Department Budget!
Then there’s the fleet program. Transferring the police car maintenance back to the Police Department Budget might reduce overtime spent by the current fleet maintenance group, as the Chief alleges. However, let’s have full disclosure.
The volunteer police originally performed a significant amount of police car maintenance on a non-cost basis to Oro Valley. That is why there was originally little or zero overtime in the police department maintenance.
When all fleet maintenance (trucks, heavy equipment, and police cars as well as other departmental cars) was consolidated into a new group the overtime soared. It seems (for some strange and mysterious reason) that all the volunteer police decided not to help out on police car maintenance anymore!
There will be operation efficiencies and reduced overtime only if there is an immediate and overwhelming desire by the volunteer police to resume non-cost maintenance of police cars. Otherwise, one has to ponder how the police department will be able to reduce overtime where the fleet maintenance group could not?
The problem with "shuffling deck chairs" when it comes to budgets is that it merely shifts costs from one place to another. There are no real savings.
John Musolf
3 comments:
How the town chooses to construct their budget should be of no concern as long as it meets the standards of proper acounting practices. As usual this blog allows a 'friend' to post anything that attempts to bring discredit to our outstanding police department and it's leadership.
Thinker...
This blog does not have "non friends". It simply has some people, like you, who do not agree with some of what is posted.
It is not personal!
So, I encourage all to send us a "Guest View" if they wish.
So, for example, if you have something you would like to say in relation to "our outstanding police department and it's leadership" please send us a "Guest View."
The link to do so is on the left column of the blog.
Update on “Shuffling the Deck Chairs”
The Fleet and IT programs, along with their budgets, returned to the Police Department as it was in FY 2008/2009.
Two other “deck chairs” were shuffled in FY 2008/2009.
There was a Public Information Officer (PIO) in the Police Department that was transferred to the Town Manager’s Office in FY2008/2009 to consolidate all external and internal communications from one source within the Town to the media and community. That particular information person in the Town Manager’s Office was subsequently hired to be a baliff in the magistrate court, but the Town Manager’s Office is still charged with release of information to the media and community.
However, Chief Sharp has now created an Executive Officer (Lieutenant) operational assignment, (not a new position) in the police department. One of the tasks assigned to this Executive Officer: “Releasing appropriate information to the news media and the community in a timely and responsible manner – Public Information Officer (PIO). The release of information is subject to department guidelines as it relates to subject sensitivity and victim rights, as well as local, state and federal laws. The PIO responds promptly to media requests and performs media releases on a 24-hour call-out basis. The PIO also acts as a liaison with the media by coordinating interviews and information relating to department activities (i.e. community events, new equipment, new programs). It is the policy of the Oro Valley Police Department to promote openness in government by releasing appropriate information to the news media and the community in a timely and responsible manner”.
Sounds like a duplication of effort by two different departments!
There was also a Safety & Risk Manager in the Police Department in FY2008/2009 which was transferred to the Human Resources Department The duties of the Safety & Risk Manager were related to general safety requirements (e.g. OSHA) and general risk management (not just police related problems). Risk Management is defined as the identification, assessment, and prioritization of risks (defined in ISO 31000) as the effect of uncertainty on objectives. Risks can come from uncertainty in financial markets, project failures (at any phase in development, production, or sustainment life-cycles), legal liabilities, credit risk, accidents, natural causes and disasters as well as deliberate attack from an adversary or events of uncertain root-cause in many departments.
So far, I guess Chief Sharp has not found a way to transfer the Safety & Risk Manager back to his department. Stay tuned!
John Musolf
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