Seems for the 2007 year budget the Budget Director & Mayor Hays decided that they needed to find more money to help offset the increase in electrical bills; to keep the citizens' electric bills from being too high during the first year's higher costs the city would have to step up and pay more on their part. So one of the ways of obtaining more funds was to freeze 11 positions (10 officers & one computer-tech.) in the NLR Police Department's staffing. As an officer retired or resigned in 2007 his position was not filled, and the city used those funds to go towards the electrical costs. In effect the police force was dropped from 203 officers down to 193 officers.
The budget for 2008 that was passed once again was aimed at repeating the staffing reduction approach to gain funds towards the electrical costs. However, this budget completely eliminated the 10 officer positions - took them off the books! They were not frozen and still listed - they are gone like they never existed in the first place! That is the police department's main worry - once gone they don't exist, and if they ever get the monies to increase the staff back up with 10 officers they will have to go before Council and request the additional positions as well as the monies to support them.
Additionally, we are loosing our more experienced officers to other law enforcement organizations that are paying more money than NLR. We have had 5 officers leave, and 6 officers are gone on military assignments until 2009.. Bradley said that he is trying to hire 5 officers, plus an additional 6 to replace the lost military officers, believing that when those 6 return he will have openings to be filled.
So it's a matter of bringing the police force back up to the 203 staffing point, and increasing their pay schedules to match Little Rocks and other communities. In view of the current crime rates, coupled with the economy going down hill creating more opportunities for crime, everyone is concerned we will not have enough police on the streets. It will be interesting to see what takes place at the City Council Meeting when this issue comes up!
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3 comments:
I am Sergeant Jim Bailey and I am one of the supervisors that works in the Lakewood Substation. I know that at this time there are many citizens worried that we are losing officers and that crime will go up. It may. I do not want you to think that those of still here have given up. I have been with the department for 15 years. I was born in NLR and graduated from Northeast High (a long time ago). I was raised in Indian Hills so I have a great deal of interest in keeping this city safe. I wanted you to know that as recently as this week a major arrest was made by Detective Matt Thomas. Det. Thomas arrested and charged a suspect who was responsible for 6 business that had been broken into over the past month on the Hill. We refer to the Hill as everything north of I-40 and east of Ridgeroad (Lakewood, Indian Hill, Park Hill, Etc.)We have not and will not give up the fight.
Sgt. Jim Bailey
NLRPD
Lakewood Substation
Jim, be careful now, your passion both for the job and our mutual community is showing through. And this is exactly why we do not want to loose our more experienced police officers to other employers who see the merit of gainging that experience at whatever cost!
Chief Bradley remarked last night at the Levy Improvement Project Meeting that fighting crime had to be a team effort, involving us citizens as well. So whenever we see something suspicious (an unknown person walking our streets, an unattended and unknown vehicle parked on the street or church parking lots, sounds of gunfire or loud aguments, do not hestitate to call the police - 911 in an emergency! Or in a non-emergency call either the NLR Police Department on Pershing at 758-1234 or the Lakewood Village Sub-Station at 812-2690. Understand for reason of our patrol officer shortage the sub-station may not be manned 24 hours a day to take your immediate call!
Jim, we'll make the committment to "pitch in" and enter the ring with you guys. Together we can fight this problem for a victory!
Regarding my e-mail of 1-23-08, subject "Keep Our Cops" wherein I forwarded an alert from our good neighbors of the Ward 3 Levy Improvement Project Neighborhood Group regarding this coming Monday's NLR City Council Meeting's Agenda. They were very concerned about our North Little Rock Police Department facing a reduction in force, with the Mayor's 2008 Quota Ordinance being presented for vote consideration at Monday's Meeting.
In reading the Levy Blog this afternoon I find that Ward 3 Alderman Cary Gaines has posted the following at 1:00 p.m. today:
"The 2008 Quota Ordinance will not be on the City Council Agenda Monday night, January 28, 2008. It will most likely be presented to the City Council on February 11, 2008. The Finance Director has not finalized the exact number of positions at this time."
With best wishes,
Cary Gaines
I wanted to get this information out as soon as possible so those who had planned to attend Monday's City Council Meeting (or watch it on TV) would be informed of the above change, and not anticipate this issue being addressed then. Let's hope the additional two weeks will allow Mayor Hays and the Finance Director to work over their figures again and come up with an improved finding regarding the available funds to support our NLR Police Department's manpower staffing at the level required to maintain our safety!
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