Following the approval of the 2010 Budget, Chief Settingsgaard provided Scott Moore, City Manager with a plan to retain officers. “I applaud Chief Settingsgaard and his Command Staff for working with the Peoria Police Benevolent Association to support this initiative in retaining these officers,” Moore said.
Chief Settingsgaard developed an operating plan that was restructured moving forward after the impact of losing 33 sworn positions, 16 of which would have resulted in officers being laid off. “The time and effort that Chief Settingsgaard and his Command Staff put into analyzing their options should be commended,” stated Mayor Jim Ardis. “They continued to look for creative ways to identify efficiencies and cut costs in the hopes of restoring lost positions and subsequently increasing the level of police service to our citizens, which makes me feel better knowing that the Benevolent Leadership was able to support this,” said Councilmember Barbara Van Auken.
On Tuesday, December 23, 2009, Chief Settingsgaard submitted a plan to restore four (4) positions to the department, which will prevent or defer an equivalent number of layoffs. “A 5th layoff is also being avoided by the recent retirement announcement of a senior officer,” said Chief Settingsgaard.
The plan includes the following elements:
Field Training Program Suspension: The Department spends over $50,000 (annually) operating a Field Training Program for new hires. The majority of the costs result from contractual pay increases for officers who are certified trainers. The Police Department anticipates that it will not hire any new recruits in 2010, therefore Chief Settingsgaard shall suspend and eliminate the costs associated with this program. The savings, when factoring in the reduction in unemployment costs by avoiding a lay off, shall fund one police officer position.
Officers on Unpaid Leave: The Police Department currently has three (3) officers on long-term unpaid leave status. The unpaid leaves translate into a loss of three (3) working officer positions with their respective salaries going unpaid. The Police Department shall retain three of the junior officers and defer the layoffs until such time as any of the officers on leave return to active duty or the City Council determines that the retention of the junior officers is cost prohibitive. It is important to note that any return to active duty of officers on leave may include back pay and as such the length of time that the City will be able to defer these three (3) layoffs is yet unknown and will be reassessed in the future.
Impact of Additional Staff: The Department shall restore two (2) positions within the Street Crimes Unit, increasing their ability to conduct intensive patrols in areas of the city most affected by crime and disorder. Additionally, two (2) positions shall be added to uniform patrol which in turn shall allow the Police Department to maintain the same shift strengths in 2010 as they did in 2009.
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