Fairfield police submit budget requests

Fairfield Police Chief David Peck and Deputy Chief Gary MacNamara presented a 2010--11 police budget to the Board of Finance (BOF) and Board of Selectmen (BOS) last Thursday night that represents a 5.9 percent increase over its current budget. That does not include a requested $1,647,659 for the emergency communications center and $432,168 for the Animal Control budget, which are separate parts of the police budget.

Peck told the Fairfield Citizen the police budget -- $14,622,822 -- includes a request for two additional sworn officers. He is hopeful the town boards will approve the police department's request despite First Selectman Ken Flatto's recommendation to hire only one additional officer. Peck estimates that it costs approximately $100,000 for each new officer hired, which includes salary and benefits.

Presently, the department is short 16 personnel members. Two are at the police academy; three are in a field training program and thus don't have full powers of arrest; there are three vacancies; eight people on the force are out on long-term leave, either as a result of injury, workers compensation or administrative leave.

According to Peck, the Fairfield Police Department operates rather lean under normal circumstances -- in comparison to departments in towns of a similar size -- so not having 16 coming to work puts a strain on the department. It also affects taxpayers. Officers who are working full-time have to cover for the open spots, getting paid overtime. As a result, overtime payouts this year are expected to exceed what was budgeted for. Hiring additional officers could perhaps be less expensive than paying officers to work so much overtime.

Board of Finance members requested of Paul Hiller, the town's fiscal officer, a more accurate forecast where overtime is going to come in this year.

While the police budget is only requesting two additional sworn officers, Peck said if it were up to him, he'd hire at least six additional sworn officers, which would amount to approximately $600,000 (salaries and benefits). While there are three overtime lines, one line alone -- overtime earnings -- which is for officers to work special events or special assignments, came in at $873,000 last year. That's $273,000 more than what it would cost to hire six additional officers.

Peck said the police force is managing with its current workforce and noted that none of the positions of the patrol area ever go unmanned. However, he said there is not much of a cushion when someone takes a day off or is sick. Every officer who takes a vacation day, or calls out sick, is covered by someone being paid overtime. Hiring six sworn officers wouldn't wipe out overtime costs entirely -- as officers would still have to work on Memorial Day and the Fourth of July, for example -- but it would lessen the overtime dollar amount.

Peck told the BOF and BOS last week that a comfortable police force for Fairfield would be 120--125 sworn officers. He based this on staffing levels of police departments in comparable towns. Fairfield has a population between 57,000 and 58,000, and has only 106 sworn officers; yet Stratford, with a population of 50,000, has 112 sworn officers. West Haven, with a population of 52,000, has 121 sworn officers, and West Hartford, with a population of 60,000, has a 130 sworn officers. Additionally, Greenwich, with a population of 61,000, has 155 sworn officers.

Peck didn't lobby for the hiring of six at Thursday night's meeting. He said he knows times are tough. However, he told the Fairfield Citizen he wished the department's manpower wasn't so lean. He noted the town runs along the Interstate 95 corridor; has the Merritt Parkway coming through it; is bordered by the state's largest city and is bordered by Long Island Sound. Also, the town of Fairfield is host to two universities with close to 10,000 undergraduate students.

While Fairfield's police department isn't staffed as well as other towns and small cities, Peck said that fact isn't impacting the level of safety around town.

Peck added that the request for 108 officers -- if approved -- brings the department back to the Fairfield Police Commission's authorized strength.

"The commission bases it on reality and what the town can afford," Peck said. If the town bodies support the police department's request for two new officers, that will allow for an extra detective to be placed in the youth detective bureau.

"There's significant work in the detective bureau, as far as what we're expected to do now," Peck said. Sixteen-year-olds, as of Jan. 1 this year, are now considered juveniles, which ultimately means more paperwork for detectives. In June 2012, 17-year-olds will also be considered juveniles.

In other matters related to the police budget, 12 patrol cars are being requested this year, the same number requested a year ago. Funding for canine units was not included in the police budget but Peck let it be known at last week's meeting that he would like to have two canine units in the future. However, he said his first priority will be getting the force up to its full complement before thinking about bringing in any dogs to help the police do its job.

No votes were taken last week and no votes are expected on any of the departmental budgets until April 1.