News Room March 28, 2000 Oversight Hearing on Proposed FY2001 Budget Chairman Brazil, members of the committee, other Council members and guests - I appreciate the opportunity to present the Metropolitan Police Department's proposed budget for the fiscal year 2001 and to answer any questions you may have. With me at the witness table are Executive Assistant Chief Terrance Gainer, Executive Director for Corporate Support Eric Coard, and Chief Financial Officer Dan Tangherlini. Other MPDC staff members are in the audience. As a note to you and to our viewing audience on Channel 13, the text of my prepared remarks today, like all of my statements before the Council, is available on the Police Department's Web site - http://mpdc.dc.gov. Today's hearing comes at a time of continued progress within the MPDC and in the communities we serve. I have testified many times in the past about the investments the Police Department has made over the last two years - investments in our people, our technology, our facilities, our equipment and our training. These investments have been possible through the support of the Mayor and this Council, along with Congress and the Clinton Administration. Today, I am pleased to report that our investments in these critical areas continue to pay off. Crime in the District of Columbia is at its lowest level in almost three decades - and our crime rate continues to fall. Last calendar year, reported crime in the District declined more than 14 percent, according to preliminary figures, with reductions in each of the eight major crime categories. So far this year, crime is down another 18 percent citywide, according to preliminary data. This includes a slight reduction in homicides for the year. You will recall that murders were up sharply during the first two months of this year, but have fallen since then. At the same time, public confidence in the Police Department is on the rise. A recent Washington Post survey found that 63 percent of District residents gave our Department a rating of "excellent" or "good." This compares with 49 percent who gave the MPDC similar ratings just three years ago. And 8 in 10 residents said they feel safe in their neighborhoods, up from 6 in 10 in 1993. Most importantly, this combination of lower crime and increased public confidence in the police is translating into stronger bonds of trust and partnership between our officers and the community. This is crucial as we continue to move forward with implementing our enhanced community policing strategy, what we call "Policing for Prevention." The MPDC's proposed budget for FY 2001 supports the continuation of these and other positive trends. For even with the improved public opinion on crime and policing, our residents spoke loudly and clearly last November at the "Neighborhood Action" Citizen Summit: building safe and healthy neighborhoods remains their top priority. This budget advances that priority not only by supporting more police officers, but also by allowing our Department to maintain the crucial investments we have made over the last two years in training, technology and other programs that promote community policing. Operating Budget Overview The Department's proposed operating budget for FY 2001 is $301.8 million. While this represents an overall decrease of approximately $3.2 million from the FY 2000 budget, the entire reduction is accounted for by a decline in federal funds. Because several existing grants will conclude during the current fiscal year, federal spending in FY 2001 is projected to decrease by $3.9 million, while local spending would increase by approximately $780,000. As in past years, salaries, overtime and benefits account for the bulk of the Department's FY 2001 operating budget - approximately 85.5 percent of the total. The remaining 14.5 percent covers such non-personal services as equipment, supplies, rent, utilities and other services. This total does not include the $30 million in new capital funds the Department will receive next year. I will discuss our capital budget a little later. Earlier today, my office delivered to the Committee several documents that correct errors that, for one reason or another, were printed in the FY 2001 budget book. For the record, I want to acknowledge these errors and explain a few of the key corrections we have provided to you. These corrections in no way change the bottom line figures of the Department's proposed FY 2001 budget. They do, however, provide a more accurate accounting of how our proposed funds would be allocated within the Department. First, the proposed budget supports 4,624 full-time equivalents, not 4,826 as originally printed. The additional FTEs were the result of an inadvertent double-counting of the 200 officers we plan to hire through a federal Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grant beginning next year. These 200 officers were counted in both the local and federal FTE figures, instead of just the federal total. Second, the proposed funding for the Office of the Chief of Police was overstated by approximately $3.7 million, due to an error in the line-item budget for the Office of General Counsel, which is a responsibility center within my office. The proposed funding level for the General Counsel's Office, which has 10 employees, is approximately $611,000 - not the $4.3 million stated in the budget book. Conversely, the spending for personal services in Regional Operations, which includes our police districts and other operational units, was understated by that same figure of $3.7 million. Third, the proposed FTEs for "Operations Command" is overstated by more than 200 officers. Operations Command is the unit that oversees field operations during the evening and midnight shifts, as well as the Mobile Force and other specialized operations. These FTEs, representing primarily the additional officers that will be hired through the federal COPS office grant, belong within the three Regional Operations Command. Finally, as has been widely reported already, the budget book overstated by seven the number of FTEs for the Executive Protection Unit. I recently asked the United States Secret Service to complete a thorough and independent analysis of this unit and to provide me with a recommended staffing level. Based on their recommendation, the unit is currently staffed by 15 officers, three sergeants and one lieutenant. I recognize this level is four higher than the number stated in the District's appropriations bill for the current fiscal year. As required by law, I have notified Council Chair Cropp, as well as Congress, of the enhanced staffing level and the rationale behind it. There are no plans to increase the size of the Executive Protection Unit in FY 2001. Because of a technical error, the additional FTEs were counted in the Protection Unit, when they should have been included in Central Crime Analysis (the next line on the budget table), which incorrectly listed no FTEs in the FY 2001 budget book. Page 1 of 4       1  2  3  4