That didn’t take long. I wonder what the “sacrifice and cuts” are going to be?
To: Chief Noble Wray
From: Mayor Dave Cieslewicz
cc: Members of the Common Council
Date: September 8th, 2007
Thank you for your memo regarding your adjusted budget request for the Madison Police Department. Like you, I have and will continue to listen closely to the comments and concerns of Madisonians at neighborhood meetings throughout the city. In response to what you and I have heard, it is my intention to add an additional 12 new officers to your original request of 18, for a total of 30. Because I have been building my budget on your original request, this will require sacrifice and cuts from other parts of the city budget. However, I believe that Madisonians are willing to accept these costs to make their neighborhoods safer.
This extraordinary increase of officers is contingent upon passage of a state budget which contains the state Senate provisions related to municipal levy limits and Payments for Municipal Services. Adoption of the Assembly provisions for these two items would result in $15 million in cuts to the city budget, so public safety literally hinges upon the Senate language in this regard. Moreover, I will ask the legislature to exempt police and fire expenses from state spending limits under the Expenditure Restraint Program.
In addition to this historic increase in police resources, I am proposing a broader Mayor’s Public Safety Initiative which has six parts:
1. Increase police resources
As noted above, I will work hard to find the resources to add 30 new police officers and fund an accelerated police academy when I introduce my budget in October. I will also work with you to add new resources for Community Policing Teams, gang prevention and suppression, enforcement of quality of life concerns, stepped up traffic enforcement and more. I will continue the successful $100,000 Downtown Safety Initiative (DSI). In addition, because I know that we have particularly acute needs in the West Police District, I will ask the Common Council to provide an additional $50,000 for policing in that area for 2007. Along with these resources will come the opportunity for greater accountability to the public through specific measures of on-the-ground neighborhood safety through my Madison Measures program.
This commitment represents the largest increase in support for the Madison Police Department of any mayoral administration in recent history. The attached chart shows the historic growth in the size of the MPD.
2. Target bad landlords
In our neighborhood listening sessions, the two most common concerns we heard were the need for more police and the need to address landlords who do not maintain their property or adequately screen their tenants. I am committed passing the nuisance abatement ordinance at the next Council meeting. In addition, we are working with a city team comprised of the Police Department, Building Inspection, and the City Attorney’s office to develop consistent, long-term inspections of problematic properties with consequences for landlords who do not show improvement.
3. Strengthen Neighborhoods
I will work to form a Westside Planning Council to give westside neighborhoods greater resources, coordination, information sharing and access to their city government. We will also work to expand and strengthen neighborhood watch programs.
4. Give young people positive alternatives
My 2008 capital budget contains support for the Urban League of Greater Madison, helping them to expand their youth mentoring program. We will also add resources yet this year for after school programs on the southwest side, and I will work to expand after school programs citywide in my 2008 budget. In addition, we will closely review the recommendations of the City-County Enhanced Gang Task Force with the intention of partnering with Dane County on gang prevention activities.
5. Lobby the federal, state and county governments to partner with us
The City of Madison can do a great deal, but we can’t do it alone. I will work with the state legislators to head off cuts to local aid programs and levy limit proposals that would prohibit the City from investing what it needs to address our public safety concerns. I will also ask the state to fund an adequate number of Assistant District Attorneys to pursue quality of life crimes. Finally, I will work with our federal delegation to reinstate the COPS program to help us hire more officers.
6. Take a citywide approach
While much of the recent focus has been on the challenges faced by southwest Madison neighborhoods, we need a citywide approach that looks at all aspects of public safety. I will work to pass the Alcohol Density Plan this fall, as a means of stopping the flow of police resources to the downtown. We will continue to improve the Allied Drive neighborhood, to stem flow of police resources there (especially from the West Police District). Finally, to create a coordinated approach to all of these issues, I will be designating one of my aides to a new Safe Neighborhoods position in the mayor’s office.
In addition to these six initiatives, I will work with all community leaders to raise our expectations with regard to behavior in every Madison neighborhood. Every Madisonian deserves to feel and to be safe in their own neighborhood and throughout the city.
Madison is fortunate to enjoy a reputation as a safe community with a high quality of life. These initiatives will help it to stay that way. I appreciate your commitment to protecting Madison neighborhoods and families.
