Public Safety Committee

Summary

Meeting Overview

The Public Safety Committee met on January 21, 2014, at 1:30 p.m., with Kevin Stinnett presiding. The committee addressed four agenda items during the meeting, taking nine votes and hearing eight public comments.

The committee approved the summary from a previous meeting. A discussion on Community Corrections staffing levels and inmate-to-officer ratios was deferred for further consideration. Two items were removed from the agenda: the E911 Structural Imbalance and Items in Committee.

Attendance

Present: - Peggy Henson - Kevin Stinnett - Chuck Ellinger - Shevawn Akers - Diane Lawless - Bill Farmer - George Myers - Jennifer Mossotti - Harry Clarke - Ed Lane - Rodney Ballard - Jim Capillo - Clay Mason - David Lucas

Absent: - Council Member Henson

Late: - Councilor Marsati

Votes and Decisions

The following motions were voted on and passed by voice vote during the January 21, 2014 meeting:

Approval of November 5, 2013 Meeting Summary 0:00 Motion by Kevin Stinnett. Passed by voice vote.

Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Lodge 83 Presentation 1:03 Motion by Chuck Ellinger, seconded by Councilman Scutchfield, to allow the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 83 to present for 15 minutes. Passed by voice vote.

Purchase of Ballistic Vests for Correctional Officers 23:11 Motion by Council Member Massadi to approve the purchase of 10 ballistic vests for correctional officers transporting inmates to the hospital. Passed by voice vote. The vests must be worn when transporting inmates to the hospital.

Community Corrections Staffing Review 1:01:20 Motion by Jennifer Mossotti to keep the Community Corrections staffing and inmate-officer ratio issue in committee for further review. Passed by voice vote. Director Ballard and Captain Capillo are to return with updated staffing analysis and data on high-risk housing units.

Removal of Agenda Items [timestamp: 01:11:41 - 01:12:52] Four motions by Council Member Farmer to remove items from the committee agenda all passed by voice vote: - Project Lifesaver 1:11:41 - Martin presentation 1:12:11 - DEAM Emergency Preparedness 1:12:20 - E911 structural imbalance 1:12:52

Adjournment 1:13:22 Motion by Bill Farmer, seconded by Chuck Ellinger, to adjourn the meeting. Passed by voice vote.

Budget and Financial Actions

The meeting included approval for a purchase of safety equipment for correctional staff. The following financial action was taken:

• Ballistic Vests Purchase: $4,200 to Gulls for the purchase of 10 ballistic vests for correctional officers who transport inmates to the hospital.

Public Comment

Several council members raised questions and concerns regarding staffing, safety, and budget matters during the meeting.

Safety and Equipment Concerns

Councilor Marsati [00:11:42] expressed concern about prisoner transport safety, specifically addressing the need for protective vests and asking about current staffing levels and overtime usage. Council Member Massadi [00:19:57] moved to use surplus funds from the general fund to purchase ballistic vests for officers transporting inmates to the hospital, citing safety concerns.

Staffing Levels and Ratios

Council Member Scutchfield [00:14:53] asked how many housing units currently have only one officer on duty, following up on a presentation about staffing and inmate ratios. Council Member Akers [00:15:24] questioned whether the proposed increase in entry-level pay was intended to address staffing shortages or wage competitiveness issues, and asked about the number of inmates currently in the Community Alternative Program (CAP) and the potential for program expansion [00:44:51].

Cost Analysis and Budget Efficiency

Council Member Kay [00:53:08] asked whether a detailed analysis comparing overtime spending to full staffing costs had been conducted, and questioned whether hiring additional staff would be more cost-effective than relying on overtime. Council Member Clark [00:51:33] inquired how many new officers could be hired using the current overtime budget and asked about the number of hours when no inmates are in common areas.

Further Review

Council Member Mossotti [01:01:20] moved to keep the Community Corrections staffing issue in committee to allow for further analysis and data submission from both the director and union president.

Contested Items

Staffing Levels and Inmate-Officer Ratios

The committee was divided on appropriate staffing levels for the facility. The director cited 263 authorized positions as the current standard, while the union advocated for an increase to 287 positions. A particular point of contention involved the staffing requirements for housing units with 80 or more inmates. The disagreement centered on whether two officers are necessary in such units, especially when the inmates are not classified as high-risk. This split vote reflected differing perspectives on safety needs and resource allocation between facility management and union representatives.

Ballistic Vest Policy

A heated discussion emerged regarding the funding and distribution of ballistic vests for officers. The central disagreement was whether vests should be provided to all transport officers or limited only to those being deployed to the hospital. The union presented data indicating that most officers declined to wear vests when required, raising questions about the cost-effectiveness of a universal vest program and the practical challenges of ensuring safety compliance. This debate highlighted tensions between the desire to protect officers and the reality of officer compliance with safety equipment policies.

Approval of Summary

The summary of the November 5, 2013 Public Safety Committee meeting was presented for approval. 0:00

Outcome

The summary was approved without discussion.

Background

The November 5, 2013 meeting that was being summarized had included three presentations from the Department of Public Safety.

Community Corrections: Staffing Level & Inmate/Officer Ratio

1:33

Rodney Ballard, Director of Community Corrections, presented on current staffing levels and inmate-officer ratios. He noted a significant 35-officer shortfall compared to 2009 staffing levels. Despite this reduction in personnel, Ballard emphasized that the workload has remained constant, with overtime being used to fill the gaps created by the shortfall.

Captain Jim Capillo of FOP Lodge 83 presented a position analysis supporting authorization for 287 officers. He raised safety concerns related to current staffing levels and advocated for maintaining adequate personnel in high-risk areas. Capillo specifically cited the need for two officers to be assigned to high-risk housing units to ensure proper safety protocols and operational security.

The discussion highlighted the tension between current staffing levels and operational demands, with the use of overtime serving as a temporary measure to maintain facility operations despite the reduced workforce compared to previous years.

Outcome: The issue was deferred to the next meeting for further review.

E911 Structural Imbalance

Clay Mason presented on structural challenges facing the E911 system, focusing on declining revenue from landline 911 fees. 1:02:28

Presentation Overview

Mason outlined how decreasing landline usage is reducing traditional 911 fee revenue, creating a projected growing deficit for the system. The presentation included financial forecasts demonstrating the scope of this imbalance.

Proposed Solutions

The presentation included proposed legislative changes intended to address the revenue shortfall. These proposals included increasing wireless fees and eliminating disparities in how prepaid and postpaid wireless users are charged for 911 services.

Committee Action

Following the presentation by Mason and discussion involving David Lucas, the committee voted to remove this item from the agenda.

Items in Committee

The committee reviewed several pending items during this portion of the meeting 1:10:40. Key speakers included Bill Farmer and George Myers.

The following items were removed from the agenda:

• Project Lifesaver
• Martin presentation
• DEAM Emergency Preparedness
• E911 structural imbalance

Two items were retained for future discussion:

• Home fleet policy
• Tenant transition