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Friday, March 29, 2024
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Senators Back VIPD Efforts to Budget Better

Money may be tight, but the Police Department still needs to be realistic when it comes to budgeting its expenses and can look to the Legislature for support in building some of its initiatives, senators said during the final round of budget hearings Tuesday.

Every year, VIPD top brass come to the Senate with the same two challenges — a lack of money and manpower. But crime rates are now at record levels, and its time for the department to stop "playing the same old games," one senator said.

That includes everything from coming to the Senate to replenish money needed for rewards to making sure enough is budgeted for overtime expenses, senators said.

In fiscal year 2009, the department racked up $8.9 million in overtime costs — roughly $4 million more than what was budgeted. Savings from vacant positions and unused fringe benefits made up the difference, officials said. About $10 million is earmarked for overtime expenses in the department’s FY 2010 budget.

Meanwhile, VIPD has been reducing overtime costs by putting part-time auxiliary officers on the job.

A lack of money also postponed the department’s collective bargaining negotiations with the Law Enforcement Supervisors Union, which started last August and were halted earlier this year. Money for the negotiations would come from Collective Bargaining and is dependent upon economic conditions and the government’s cash flow, according to acting Police Commissioner Novelle Francis.

The department’s General Fund budget request for FY 2010 is a little more than $65 million — approximately $3.6 million more than its FY 2009 request. VIPD is also slated to receive $850,000 from the Tourism Advertising Revolving Fund, $3.5 million in federal funds and $83,000 from the Casino Revenue Fund, for an overall budget of $69.5 million, according to the Legislature’s post audit report.

This figure does not include appropriations in the miscellaneous section of the budget for VIPD athletic league programs, substations on St. Croix and St. John and the Grove Place Weed and Seed Program, among other things.

As with most departments and agencies, most of the General Fund money is eaten up by personnel costs, which is estimated at about $43.4 million for 824 General Fund positions. Another $12.9 million is budgeted for fringe benefits.

Even with the auxiliary, police cadets and the transfer of seven experienced law enforcement officers from other jurisdictions, manpower shortages still plague the department. In the FY 2009 budget alone, there were $8 million in funded vacancies and unused fringe benefits, according to officials.

Meanwhile, there are 46 officers on the payroll that are not on active duty, but rather on some type of leave, Francis added later.

But an agreement with the government is in place to make sure large amounts of officers aren’t deployed for military service at the same time, and the department expects to start a new police class on St. Thomas-St. John in August and on St. Croix in September, he added.

Another $950,000 is included in the budget for capital outlay — mainly for improvements to VIPDs evidence rooms, which came under scrutiny in a recent Interior Department audit. Another $820,152 is earmarked for training.

More money must also be put toward addressing conditions in a recent U.S. Justice Department consent decree, which includes hiring an independent monitor to oversee VIPD operations, Francis said.

Of course, how VIPD plans to address rising crime levels was mentioned during Tuesday’s hearing, with officials saying that AK-47 assault rifles are now the weapon of choice on streets where most of the murders are being committed by young men. Police are looking into surveillance upgrades, have ordered canines and are getting more tips from the community than ever.

But the numbers are up across the board, from rapes to murders, and senators urged officials to continue to nurture their relationship with Justice and foster trust within the community.

"You are probably the most beleaguered department we’re going to see," said Sen. Craig W. Barshinger. "People really need a good police department they can count on and if the department isn’t going to keep the criminal element at bay, people are going to know about it and remember it. This is something that really hits home, if crime touches you. We realize that you have a long way to go, but anything you can do, we would appreciate it."

Present during Tuesday’s meeting were Barshinger and Sens. Dowe, Louis P. Hill, Wayne James, Terrence "Positve" Nelson, Sammuel Sanes, Patrick Simeon Sprauve and Michael Thurland.

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