Roadmap to Madison Police Department Budget: Work in Progress

August 17, 2020 9:57 am

The Public Safety Review Committee (PSRC) has a budget subcommittee that is working on a report so people can understand the police department budget.It’s definitely work in progress!

MEETING ON WEDNESDAY/BEGINNING OF A REPORT

Here’s the

Agenda – PSRC Budget Subcommittee Agenda for August 19, 2020
Report Outline – PSRC Budget Report Outline

DRAFT REPORT OUTLINE

This outline is based on the 4 meetings we have had. All the info videos, agendas and minutes are below. I realize my outline is a bit wonky and short-handed, but I think you will get the point – my apologies for the wonky language/insider language.

PSRC Budget Report Outline – Police Department Budget Q&A

Police Department Operating Budget Overview – 2020
- Personnel – What do the police officers do?
  - Calls for Service – how do they spend their time
  - Overview of staffing study models
    - x/1000
    - compare to other cities
    - Etico model
      - How did they choose the 50/50 model
      - What do officers do in their proactive time
- How much does a police officer/detective etc. cost?
- What are the functions that the police department does?
  - How many officers work on each function?
  - If you cut that many officers for each function – what complications are there for the functions?
- 2021 Operating budget request
  - 5% decrease budget
- Remaining questions on operating budget we didn’t get answered/observations
Police department assets/inventory (some may be operating costs)
- Surveillance
- Weapons
- Vehicles
- Special Equipment
- Remaining questions on assets we didn’t get answered/observations
Capital Budget Overview
- 5 year CIP
- When each of the stations was built
- Lack of long term planning or strategic plan
- Remaining questions on Capital budget we didn’t get answered/observations

Appendix

Laura Larsen Powerpoint– police budget
Patterson Powerpoint
Chief’s memo from 2019
2^nd Laura Larsen Powerpoint
Organizational chart with positions and numbers
2021 Budget memo
Additional materials from our upcoming meeting
Minutes from our meetings

WHAT ARE WE MISSING?

We are working as quickly as possible with only Matthew Mitnick, Alder Patrick Heck and myself on the committee. Our plan is to put together as much info as we can for the public and have a public hearing. Then, get the report to the mayor before she finishes her budget – and provide it to the council for their deliberations. It’s yet to be determined if we actually make any recommendations, or just compile all the info for the public and the council to discuss. The big question I have is, what other info do the public and council want? You can let us know at pdpsrc@cityofmadison.com.

OBSTACLES – NOT THE STAFF!

We are facing many obstacles that are just making things hard. I do have to say tho, we are lucky to have Laura Larsen from the Finance Departmet, Teague Mawer from the police finance department and Assistant Chief John Patterson along with our committee staff Emily Hariman. All have been quite helpful in providing information – its quite a different experience than we have at the full PSRC meeting.

The obstacles are more in providing information to the public. We are a subcommittee or the PSRC and we are not allowed to be a “legistar” committee and we aren’t allowed to have a website. So there is no place for us to put all of our information we have gathered. It won’t be in legistar until we do a report to the PSRC (I’m working on a work around! We’ll see if I’m successful.) So . . . here is what I would put on a website if we could, which is all of the items we would have attached in legistar, if we could.

COMMITTEE MATERIALS

Here’s the documents and powerpoints that have been provided to us that I also dug out of my emails.

COMMITTEE MEETINGS RECORDS

Sadly, the first meeting was not recorded. Somehow, we, along with many others, were confused by a city attorney memo saying we were prohibited from recording our meetings. Turns out we were not. Here is my blog/video on the first meeting.