The city did not get its $55,000 worth when it hired a
consultant to analyze the workings of the police department last
year, and a city-wide hiring freeze coupled with potential
retirements later this year could mean fewer officers dealing with
a growing town, the police chief said.
The city did not get its $55,000 worth when it hired a consultant to analyze the workings of the police department last year, and a city-wide hiring freeze coupled with potential retirements later this year could mean fewer officers dealing with a growing town, the police chief said.
More than three months after joining the Gilroy Police Department, Chief Denise Turner has had enough time to pick apart a detailed report prepared by Matrix Consulting Group. The report took nearly all of 2007 to complete and recommended cutting civilian positions and hiring more officers with longer shifts to give them more time to “proactively” patrol the streets instead of responding to calls. But these recommendations relied on vague statistics that inaccurately portrayed what officers actually did on calls, Turner said.
The “flawed data” led the report to conclude that at any time of the day, an average of 6.5 sworn officers were on the clock, and that throughout 2006, these cops responded to 25,000 calls, mostly non-emergency reports of disturbances, suspicious behavior, barking dogs, loud noise or alarms.
The 39 percent of the time officers were not reacting to calls, the report found they initiated 15,264 incidents – about 42 events per day – ranging from vehicle to pedestrian stops. If Matrix had used more detailed statistics to analyze the department, however, the consultant would have found that officers actually have less than 30 percent of their shifts to initiate police work, not 39 percent, Turner said. Matrix recommended at least 45 percent.
“(But) Matrix did not see all the activities our officers are actually doing,” Turner told the city council July 7. “That was our own fault. We’re our own worst enemy … Further review is needed with accurate data.”
Turner has since required officers to report the specific purpose of all tasks to bring detail to statistics. That way, when Crime Analyst Phyllis Ward looks at this new data next month, Turner predicted the results will show a much more reactive department than the one Matrix looked at. The in-house review will continue throughout 2008 and will essentially flesh out Matrix’s much more in-depth report, Turner said. Former Police Chief Gregg Giusiana – who retired in December 2006 but stuck on until Feb. 2008 as an hourly employee while collecting his pension – could not be reached for comment, and Matrix President Richard Brady did not return a message Monday.
Despite Turner’s commitment to fresh analysis, the old one still seems like a waste of money, Councilman Peter Arellano said.
“This concerns me because it was an outside evaluation, and if we didn’t get out money’s worth, and they didn’t collect the data correctly, then I’m not too happy with that,” Arellano said.
Even if the debate around Matrix’s recommendations disappeared, hiring five new officers throughout the next five years seems unlikely given city budget cuts, Turner said. Two cops are also eligible to retire this year, which could further hamper street presence. For this reason, Sgt. John Sheedy said he is not sure whether he will say good-bye to the force or not.
“My personal concern if I do go is what impact that may have on the organization and the community I have lived in nearly all my life,” said Sheedy, a senior sergeant and watch commander whose departure amid the hiring freeze that will last through at least June 2009 would cause the promotion of an officer from the street. The department roster has 42 officer positions, but only 36 are filled, according to Sgt. Jim Gillio and Turner. Two community service officers – who help officers and deal with less pressing law enforcement – are winding their way through the academy and could replace the two potential retirees – or join them if they do not retire – but the city council will have to approve the hirings.
“If I go, and they don’t replace my position, how will they fill that gap? Taking a corporal or officer and making them a sergeant means one beat cop is no longer on the street, and that has a trickle down effect,” Sheedy said. “Something’s got to give.”
Turner agreed that she has some juggling to do.
“With the hiring freeze, I have to weigh whether certain positions are critical or not. Patrol, 911 and investigations are critical to meeting public safety goals, and when you talk about proactive policing, the ability to do so lessens when there are less people to do it with,” Turner said. “It all comes back to whether it is necessary to add five officers and what value they could add.”
Turner added that extending officers’ shifts to help cover ground would be too demanding and might actually hurt the department. In Morgan Hill, the city council recently approved putting a 2 percent utility tax measure on the November Ballot that would subsidize an additional seven sworn police officers and two multi-service officers.
Before Gilroy police review the new statistics next month, though, Turner said the SWAT team will continue training jointly with Morgan Hill to cut down on costs. The department is also developing a “crime stats program” to pinpoint certain crimes to certain areas and then focus officers’ free time on targeting known gang areas, addressing traffic congestion, and preventing theft or property damage.
Hiring freeze
The following positions have been de-funded:
– 1 police captain
– 7 police officers n 1 traffic officer
– 3 community service officers (in November when 2 trainees complete the police academy)
– 1 dispatcher
– 1 senior police records technician
– 1 office assistant
– 1 part time evidence clerk
