Rye Councilman: Budget Needs to Clarify Police Department Cuts

Rye Councilman Joe Sack says he will call for an amendment to the , so that it clearly shows what the allocations for police manpower will be in the Marine Unit and Youth Bureau.

The city's proposed 2011 budget currently shows no head count for both divisions, making it appear that these positions won't be staffed next year.

However, that the Marine Unit position would be modified so that a full-time officer would patrol from May through Labor Day, rather than from April to November. In a story published Thursday on Rye Patch, Pickup said the , but will cut its funding by two-thirds and re-allocate that money to the police department's Detective Division.

Sack said there is a lot of public confusion about how the city plans to operate these two divisions next year. He plans to call for an amendment to the budget when the City Council votes on Dec. 15.

"I will call for the budget to increase the staffing for these positions to at least a '.4' headcount," Sack said.

"We are told that the police personnel who currently hold the youth officer and Marine Unit positions are keeping their jobs, but are having a portion of their time re-allocated to other responsibilities within the department," he added. "That being the case, I believe it only makes sense to ensure that the budget accurately reflects that a portion of their time will still be devoted to the youth officer and Marine Unit functions."

Rye PBA President Franco Compagnone, who argued against police cuts at the Dec. 1 budget hearing, sent a letter to Rye residents Thursday, calling the City Council's choices "reckless."

"Any Rye boat owner is well aware that the Rye Marina is active before and long after the months the city has allotted to patrol its waterways," he said. "The 2011 staffing has been cut in half, leaving no time to successfully oversee this vital program."

Compagnone also said the city's restructuring of the Youth Bureau is too reactive, meaning police will not serve in a preventive role in addressing potential problems with the city's youth. 

"With the loss of D.A.R.E., there is no proactive mechanism for interaction between the Police department and Rye's youth. This is clearly short sighted and a recipe for disaster."

He also criticized the City Council for not holding a budget workshop, as it did for other departments.

"This year they did not hold a police workshop and made these radical decisions without concern for the impact on the community," Compagnone said.

Rye Mayor Doug French said the City Council has devoted much more time this year to informing the public about the budget.

"The city has actually doubled the number of special budget meetings and workshops for the public than it traditionally does, and started those five months earlier than normal to allow enough time to work through the financial challenges the city faces," he said.  

"With respect to a special meeting on just police, the only budget change year-over-year was the $150,000 reduction in uniform police services from the $8 million department budget, which was identified by staff since June as a way to achieve savings without reducing public safety."

In reference to the D.A.R.E. program and the Marine Unite position, French that the positions are not being eliminated. He said the city had numerous discussions with school officials that led it to modify the 10-week D.A.R.E. program. Regarding the Marine Unit, police personnel would be on patrol during the peak marine season, French said.

City Manager Scott Pickup said Sack's suggestion to change the head count for the Marine Unit and Youth Bureau positions would not have any effect on how the city plans to structure these roles in 2011. He said the City Council will discuss Sack's proposal on Wednesday.

"It's really more of a presentation matter than a budget matter," Pickup said. "Whether it's a .3 or .6 head count, the officer really falls within the umbrella of what they're doing in the detective division. It doesn't mean more money or that we're changing the budget."

Nonetheless, Sack said the city should clearly outline how the positions in the Youth Bureau and Marine Unit will operate next year.

"The budget needs to commit in writing that the youth officer and Marine Unit functions are not being completely eliminated, otherwise the talk of partial allocation is just lip service."