St. Petersburg police staffing to get expert appraisal

For four years, the budgeted number of police officers has been stable at 538. But this year, that trend could change as residents demand more services.

By LEANORA MINAI

© St. Petersburg Times, published June 7, 2000

ST. PETERSBURG -- For the second time in four years, a police consultant will assess whether the city needs more officers.

Peter Bellmio, who has examined staffing at police departments from Los Angeles to Hartford, Conn., will explain at 6 p.m. today how he will study St. Petersburg's needs. The public is invited to the presentation at St. Petersburg Junior College Allstate Center.

"The issue is still whether or not the number of officers we have is adequate to meet our work demands," said chief Goliath Davis III.

For four straight years, the administration has budgeted for 538 sworn officers. That trend could be broken as residents demand more service. Also, city elections are next year.

A service request under consideration that would increase work load is having officers go to every traffic accident -- not just fatal or serious injury crashes. If the policy changes, officers would respond to 10,000 more crashes a year.

"Traffic is probably the primary concern in the city," Davis said.

Bellmio, the consultant, will be paid at least $12,000 for the review, which will be completed in 90 days using computer programs to analyze calls for service and response times, among other data.

Jack Soule, a patrol officer and union president, said the administration should first hire enough officers to fill its authorized staffing level, then determine whether more people are necessary.

"We're not keeping the pace," Soule said.

The department has 497 officers on the street, up to 35 cadets and recruits and six openings.

This is not Bellmio's first visit to St. Petersburg.

Bellmio was hired after the civil disturbances in 1996 to assess how personnel were assigned and how officers used their time.

After a yearlong review, Bellmio found that most patrol officers spend nearly half their shifts working on administrative tasks such as filling out reports and conducting field interviews.

Only a third of an officer's time is spent responding to emergency calls, and about 15 percent of an officer's shift consists of discretionary time in which they are free to work on individual projects.

Davis asked Bellmio to come back after hearing concerns from residents and officers during two Police Department retreats last year and in January.

Even if Davis gets more money next year for more officers, finding recruits is another challenge. The National Association of Police Organizations has cited recruitment as one of the top problems facing police agencies. It costs $80,000 a year to hire, outfit, train and pay an entry-level officer.

Davis said he recently returned from a trip to Charlotte, N.C., where the city is looking for 100 officers. In New York City, 1,600 officers are needed, and in Chicago, recruiters are searching for 650 to fill openings created by retirements.

In St. Petersburg, Davis said he will ask the city to allocate more staff to help the Police Department's sole recruiter find new officers.

Bellmio's presentation is in the Florida Room at the Allstate Center, 3200 34th St. S.

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