The Department’s proposed operating budget for FY07 is approximately $437 million dollars from all funding sources. This represents an increase of $56 million dollars from the Department’s FY06 budget, though an increase of only $35 million over the Department’s actual expenditures for FY05. Of the $437 million, approximately $420 million dollars, or 96 percent, is locally funded. Of our locally funded budget, roughly 84 percent is devoted to personnel services – that is, salaries and benefits for our sworn and civilian employees.
While the proposed increase in our FY07 budget may seem large, it is important to examine the increase in the proper context. As you know, the labor agreement between the Department and the Fraternal Order of Police was concluded and approved last summer. The FY 2007 budget is the first budget to include the effect of that agreement. In my statement last year, I pointed out that the FY2006 budget did not include any portion of the current five-year agreement. The 2007 budget includes a 4 percent retroactive pay increase for FY04, two separate 2 percent pay increases for FY05, and 4 percent pay increases in both FY06 and FY07. The increase in pay also increases the cost of employee benefits, overtime and other pay categories. The cumulative effect of these increases accounts for the overwhelming majority of the proposed increase in MPD’s budget for FY07.
As I mentioned, the proposed budget for “Personal Services” will allow us to maintain our staffing at 3,800 sworn members throughout FY07. This is significant because, up until now, 81 of those officers have been funded through a federal grant from the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services. That grant is expiring, and to maintain those officers, we have to shift funding for them to local funds in FY07. The proposed budget includes nearly $4.2 million dollars in local funds to cover this funding shift.
In addition to supporting 3,800 sworn members, the FY07 budget will enable us to put even more of those officers out on the street – in operational assignments in our neighborhoods. Our current civilianization program began at the end of FY05, with the identification of just over 80 administrative and support positions that had been held by sworn police officers, but which could be handled by civilian employees. To date, we have filled 66 of those positions, 11 are in background investigation and six are currently being advertised.
In addition to relieving sworn members of various tasks and responsibilities that could be handled by non-sworn personnel, our civilianization initiative serves another important purpose: it brings into our Department highly skilled employees in such specialty areas as information technology, forensics, and research and policy analysis. These employees are bringing new ideas and fresh perspectives to our agency and its work. The FY07 budget will allow us to complete and maintain this ambitious civilianization effort.
As part of these civilianization positions, I would like to expand our Police Cadet Program, from 9 to 30 cadets. Police cadets are recent high school graduates who are employed by the Department in civilian positions. Working about 20 hours a week, the cadets rotate through a variety of assignments – helping the MPD fulfill our mission, while providing the cadets with valuable exposure and experience within the Department. In addition to paying the cadets for their work, the MPD covers their tuition at the University of the District of Columbia. Cadets convert to career police status upon completion of their Associate Degree program and enter recruit training to become a sworn officer.
Expanding the Cadet Program will not only increase the pool of talented recruit officers from DC who are available to our agency in the coming years. Expansion will also mean that even more District youth will benefit from access to employment opportunities, secondary education and a career in public service. We believe this is truly a win-win opportunity, and an important investment for the city and the Department.
Finally, the Mayor’s budget proposal may allow for the expansion of our Crossing Guard program as well. The Budget Support Act includes language that would direct funds to various agency budgets, should additional revenue become available. For the MPD, that could mean extra money to hire, train and equip more crossing guards.