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City Manager's 2005 Budget Memo Page 13 of 27 A. Police We need to maintain our sworn strength in police officers. However, I believe we can and should reduce by one FTE a civilian support po- sition within the Police Department. As you may remember from a study session this spring, we are add- ing at considerable taxpayer expense a new police records manage- ment system within our PD. As we explained then, and still believe now, this new police records management system is a necessary and appropriate expenditure. Sut if the new records management system works as it is supposed to, it will reduce our need for data entry within the PD. The new system allows information to be entered into a computerized data- base by the officer in the field -- in fact, from the squad car. This in- formation can then be reviewed on-line by a sergeant, approved, and downloaded as necessary to the state Sureau of Criminal Apprehen- sion. No longer will we need to bring nearly as much paper back to the PD so that data entry clerks must enter that information into a creaky and cranky DOS database. Thus, I recommend as follows: Council Action Recommendation #8: Council motion approving [disapproving] the elimination of one civilian support FTE from the PD budget. I also recommend we continue to operate with the same amount of police overtime as in the current year, 2004. Through good manage- ment of their personnel, the PD is making good progress through the first six months of 2004 in reducing overtime.