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Summary of Police Chief's testimony on 2-11-10
regarding looming budget cutbacks and effects
See video of 2/10/10 Board of Supervisors’
Budget Subcommittee (Supervisors John Avalos,
Ross Mirkarimi, and Sean Elsbernd in attendance;
email their first name with dot then last name @sfgov.org
to send email) meeting with Chief Charles Gascon
discussing the 2010-2011 SFPD budget cutback of
$47 million and coming layoffs of SFPD officers
See also, news reports:
SF Examiner 2-12-10
“Police union opposes more wage concessions” by
Bruce Begin and “Some cops may shift to part
time” by Joshua Sabatini
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The Chief is now seeking to cut SFPD
expenses in the amount of $47 million for fiscal
year 2010-2011.
(Note: the Mayor earlier
informed the Police Commission this would be $30
and on January 29 the Police Chief mentioned a
mid-year cutback of $6 million).
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The
Chief said that he has been working with the
police union to find ways to control the
mounting civil service pension obligations and
how to deal with overtime (juicy) assignment
cut-backs in SFPD expenses yet meet the public
safety interests and needs.
(Note: the Police
Chief has yet to contact the Patrol Special
Police to work with them on ways to fill in even
as the SFPD are cut back and losing officers.)
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The Chief's budget for last year,
2009-2010 was $350 million. Due to mandated
salary, benefits, and pension requirements the
Chief is now proposing a $370 budget.
(Note:
this is $20 million more than last year.)
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The Chief said his 'hands are tied' by the
MOU with the police union.
(Note: in other
words, only our political leaders can change the
issue of overpaid city police and deal with
prospective law suits by union interests).
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Supervisor Mirkarimi noted that from a present
total of 2974 SFPD employees (1971of them are
the Prop D-mandated number of actual SFPD
officers), a total of 2036 now earn $100,000 or
more, or two-thirds of the SFPD employees earn
over $100,000 per year.
(Note: in 2006 the
average San Franciscan earned $34,000 while the
average SFPD salary was $47,000, more than many
other urban cities including New York, Boston,
and Dallas. In that same year, 395 SFPD
employees earned over $150,000, not including
future lifetime pension payouts and not
considering the age that most SFPD officers may
or will retire, namely in the early 60's.)
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Supervisor Avalos noted that the Mayor is
calling for a 20% cutback in every city
department.
(Note: 20% of the SFPD budget of
370 million, is more like $70--not the $47
million the Chief reported he is targeting for
cut backs. The Chief has presented only a plan
to reduce his budget by about 60% of what the
Mayor has called for city-wide. Where will the
other $23 million come from?)
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The Chief
said his goal is to reduce expenses, not
service.
(Note: how will he do that when 1971
officers constituting 90% of the police budget,
are reduced by about 600, 700, 800 or more
officers next year? How will he do this when he
has not taken advantage of the
early-intervention, no cost to taxpayer Patrol
Specials, who prevent crime to begin with?)
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The Chief said that he has now
'institutionalized' community policing by
setting up Community Advisory Boards in the ten
police districts and a centralized Community
Advisory.
(Note: no client of the Patrol Specials have
been invited to participate in these ‘community
policing committees,” which in any case are
advisory only, are only months old, and have no
particular policy power. Until these committees
are fully charged with being results-oriented
and specifically addressing the fiscal crises,
then relying upon the Patrol Special Police
makes more sense. This is particularly true when
the Police Chief himself said that the SFPD
officers have to be 'taught how to do it' and
thus, time is wasted with this educational
process when the Patrol Specials are already
neighborhood, community police and ready to
serve.)
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