Politics & Government

UPDATED: Dearborn Police Reduce Budget by $3 Million for 2014 Fiscal Year

The department will eliminate 19 unfilled positions as part of an agreement with the Police Officers Association of Dearborn.

Editor's note: This story has been updated to accurately reflect the Dearborn Police Department's proposed fiscal year 2013-2014 budget.

Dearborn Police Chief Ronald Haddad presented the department's proposed 2013-14 fiscal year budget to the Dearborn City Council on Monday.

The department is asking for roughly $34.4 million, or about $3 million less than the current fiscal year. It includes the elimination of 19 unfilled full-time positions per an agreement with the Police Officers Association of Dearborn.

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Mayor John B. O'Reilly, Jr. said the reduction retains the department's current staffing level at 186 officers, and 29 support staff members.

A provision in Dearborn's city charter approved by voters in 2004 mandates 2.1 officers per every 10,000 residents. That equates to about 206 officers, based on 2010 census numbers, which put Dearborn at about 98,000 residents.

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The department has been operating with between 180-190 officers on average, however.

The agreement with the Police Officers Association allows the city to free up the $3 million earmarked for the extra personnel that can now be used elsewhere.

"(In previous fiscal years) we budgeted for a lot of positions we knew we wouldn't fill, and therefore those positions would roll over each year, which would make the budget more out of whack. This year's budget reflects more accurately what we've been doing," O'Reilly said.

Of the officers on staff in Dearborn, 13 are part-time, representing 10,400 hours at $25 an hour, James O'Connor, the city's director of finance said.

O'Connor said the police budget makes up 35 percent of the city's general fund.

Councilman Robert Abraham said he was concerned with the police department's increase in training and transportation costs, which jumped from $89,360 in 2013, to a proposed $120,900.

Haddad said the training budget will be used for offsite and onsite programs for officers, including those who are non-certified and are selected to be enrolled in a police academy.

Haddad said there are currently 12 officers who are eligible to retire in August 2013. When the department posts job openings in the upcoming fiscal year it will ask for only applicants who are already certified.

O'Connor said the department has done a good job obtaining state and federal grants to help offset some of its operating costs.

"Revenue is up. In the past the department has seen about $1 million a year in grant activity," he said. "Grant money isn't budgeted going forward. It's budgeted on a grant life basis and appropriated when the grant is awarded. Any unused grant revenue is carried forward to the next fiscal year."

The department is projecting $1.4 million in grant revenue based on previous years, O'Connor said.

As part of the budget, there are no projected vehicle purchases in fiscal year 2013-2014. The department currently has a 156-vehicle fleet. Since 2011, all police vehicles have been purchased from the Drug Law Enforcement Fund.

In response to a question about current crime statistics in the city, Haddad said crime is down 8.5 percent from last year, and 28 percent in the past four years. Roughly 22 percent of all crime in the city is from larceny and thefts, he said.

"I credit our success to our citizens, who do a wonderful job turning in criminals," Haddad said. "This year 45 major crimes were solved from tips we received."


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