Police chief asks city to add 13 positions

Six detectives, four neighborhood resource officers, one crime prevention specialist, a commissioned computer applications trainer and a janitor – in that order – are on the Spokane police chief’s wish list for next year’s budget.

The 13 positions weren’t included in the proposal that Mayor Dennis Hession forwarded to the City Council, but council members asked Police Chief Anne Kirkpatrick to detail everything she thought the department needed so they could consider it.

City spokeswoman Marlene Feist said several desired positions in city departments weren’t included in the mayor’s budget proposal because Hession is waiting for the ongoing efficiency study to be completed, and he has cautioned the council to wait and factor in its results.

If the council members approve the Police Department positions, it would be the first major expansion of personnel in years.

Councilman Bob Apple said what Kirkpatrick is asking for means “big dollars.”

The council has requested more information regarding the positions she’s proposing, he said. For example, “we’re not sure there’s a need for four neighborhood resource officers, but we are willing to consider two more officers.”

Four neighborhood resource officers would cost $310,868, Kirkpatrick said.

Addressing property crimes is a priority for the chief and is the core reason she’s requesting more detectives. But Kirkpatrick said if she’s granted the positions, where they would be used would be a collaborative decision.

“I want to hear from the detectives, if they were me where would they put the resources,” Kirkpatrick said. “I’m hearing property crimes are where the need is, but I’m waiting to hear where that unit thinks the detectives need to be.”

Six more detectives would be an annual cost of $484,743, Kirkpatrick said.

“She has a large wish list,” Apple said. “And I don’t blame her a bit.”

The Spokane Police Department has lost nearly 40 police officers since 2002 through layoffs and retirements.

In addition to beefing up certain areas of enforcement, Kirkpatrick is also proposing to keep seven officers whose positions on a weekend traffic patrol shift were expected to generate enough revenue to pay for their positions. The chief’s plan, which was supported in the mayor’s 2007 budget, is to shift those officers to a swing shift patrol where their help is desperately needed.

“There were clearly not enough officers on the swing shift,” Kirkpatrick said. “I’m personally witnessing the impacts of the shortage.”

The police chief has been doing her field operations training with the swing shift patrol for about a month.

“They are going to calls they shouldn’t be going to by themselves, like domestic violence calls,” Kirkpatrick said. “My reason for moving them is strictly an officer safety issue.”

The weekend traffic team wasn’t generating revenue because “the drivers who were being cited weren’t paying their tickets,” Kirkpatrick said. “Where they were allocated wasn’t working. This way I’m using my resources more effectively. It’s the best bang for my buck.”