Sheriff's Department Budget Presentation

Sheriff's Department FY 07-08 Budget Presentation
Delivered by (then) Sheriff-Coroner Bob Doyle - June 4, 2007

 

Good Afternoon, Mr. Chairman and Honorable Members of the Board………..Bob Doyle…..your Sheriff-Coroner.

Today's budget presentation will be much different than years past. It will be shorter, direct, and to the point. I want to begin by thanking each of you…..very much…..for your continued commitment to public safety here in Riverside County. Last year you approved everything I asked for. On behalf of myself, the men and women of my department and the residents of Riverside County I want to thank you. Your support of our public safety efforts is paying dividends. Response times are falling, crime is down and community-based policing is being implemented countywide.

There has been so much accomplished this past year:

The state budget picture appears to be sound. The financial position of the county is positive and I respect your efforts to keep it that way. I continue to be concerned about public safety in our county. It is my job. But I am also realistic and understand that growth is impacting every other county operating department and that they too are stretched very thin.

With that in mind, I would like to begin a review of our budget. This year, we submitted a full budget request of 502 million dollars in appropriations. This budget includes 266 million dollars in offsetting revenue for a total requested net county cost of 236 million. The increase in our appropriation request is primarily due to negotiated salary adjustments, and full year funding for positions that were phased in during the current fiscal year.

My 07-08 submitted budget recommends the funding of 3,865 authorized positions. It is estimated that we will experience an average salary savings of about 6% based on hiring cycles and retirements.

In honoring our commitment to public safety we must add 34 sworn positions. This will insure our ratio of 1.2 deputies per one thousand residents is maintained. This estimation is, of course, based on Department of Finance population data. I believe this is essential to maintain community-based programs and our Zone Policing Model in the unincorporated area. We have already improved our service delivery and it is evident in the reduction in crime and response times countywide. Thank you for your continued support.

In 1980 I was one of 24 Sheriff's Investigators working in our Special Investigations Bureau where we investigated narcotics and vice cases as well as performed criminal intelligence functions for the Department.

This unit is now serving a population more than three times what it was in 1980, and has taken on additional responsibilities such as anti-terrorism investigations. During this same period the staff in this unit has less than doubled.

I am requesting 11 positions to bring this unit in line with the significant work load they have. We are requesting seven investigators along with supervisory and support staff.

Last year your Board approved the classified support positions necessary for my department to operate efficiently. I am grateful and we have clearly improved in many areas. I am most pleased with our work in Professional Standards, Sheriff's Personnel and our Training and Education components. We never would have been able to hire the deputy sheriffs you authorized and funded had it not been for the efforts of our amazing classified staff. That being said, it is my hope that you will once again fund the necessary support positions to augment sworn personnel. I do not want to digress again in this area.

Again this year, the number of Coroner cases is rising. During this past year there were 13,228 reported deaths in Riverside County. The Coroners Bureau had over 8,900 active investigations. I want to thank you for the staff additions you approved last year. I am pleased to report to you that our desert communities are now served 24/7. I am not requesting additional staff at this time, but want you to be acutely aware of the increasing workload for this area of operations.

As the county adds new judges the demands on my Courts Services Division will increase. The courts are scheduled to receive seven new judicial positions this fiscal year. This will result in increasing staff by nine new deputy sheriff positions. The majority of the cost of these positions will be absorbed by Trial Court funding. I will be coming back to you with a Form-11 for these positions when the judges are added.

For the past six years I have provided you with a comprehensive report on our Corrections Division. This year I will be somewhat brief since we have worked so closely to increase jail bed capacity in Riverside County.

First and foremost I want to thank you for making jail beds your highest priority. I appreciate the courage of your Board to take on this challenge with me. I also realize that if it were not for the competency, creativity and diligence of our Executive Office that we might still be struggling for solutions. Thank you.

Not much has changed on the operations side of corrections this past year. We are still at capacity. We continue to comply with the 1993 Federal Court Order and we continue, unfortunately, to release inmates prior to completion of their sentences. I appreciate the work and cooperation of the courts/judges and their depth of understanding regarding the restrictions my department is under. My jail staff is continually challenged by increased bookings and the dilemma of deciding who must be released. I do not like it any more than each of you, but I must follow the order of the court.

The Work Release Program and Supervised Electronic Confinement Program continue to be very successful programs for us and the community. Thank you for your continued support.

I am pleased to report that the expansion of the Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility is progressing nicely. We must still face the reality of the Old Jail and the fact those beds are gone. I would respectfully request of your Board to do everything humanly possible to expedite the building of the Hub Jail. We need jail bed space and I do not want to wait any longer than absolutely necessary. Thank you in advance for your consideration.

We must also face the reality that our growth will require more creative solutions. AB 900 was signed by the Governor on May 2, 2007. This assembly bill adds 53,000 new jail beds and creates smaller community based centers providing intensive rehabilitation. This bill in its current form looks much more workable than it did and I would suggest that we reconvene the criminal justice advisory committee to discuss the viability of participation. Once all the criminal justice partners have weighed in I will be more than happy to provide a staff report with the criminal justice recommendations.

This fiscal year is the second year of a three year request to add positions to reduce overtime and to comply with the CSA Study the county received in 2005. I am pleased to report that last year we phased in 18 deputies, 50 correctional deputies and 1 sheriff's captain. This year we are requesting the addition of 54 positions at a cost of 2.6 million dollars. Please keep in mind that this three year phased plan is not representative of staffing for future expansion. Thank you for working with me to reduce overtime and comply with the CSA Study in this critical operational area.

I also want to acknowledge your Board for funding the Residential Substance Abuse Treatment Program. State funding for this program ended in 2006 and your Board courageously stepped forward and funded it. In short, your actions opened jail beds for violent offenders. Thank you for allowing me to continue this worthwhile community-based corrections program. The good news is that we just learned that because of the success of our program the state has reinstituted partial funding and 336k will be returned to the general fund.

Now let's discuss Tasers…

Under my direction, The Defensive Tactics Unit at the Ben Clark Training Center conducted a six month field study of Tasers. A Taser is a less lethal weapon. Traditionally, less-lethal weapons have worked on pain compliance that can be overcome by drugs, alcohol, or by mentally focused individuals. This device does not rely on pain to achieve compliance. The Taser overwhelms the central nervous system and achieves incapacitation temporarily.

We have trained personnel from Patrol, Court Services, and Corrections. The success rate of the Taser in field testing has proven to be one of the most effective tools the Riverside County Sheriff's Department has utilized. The Taser will give deputies a distinct advantage in the Field, Courts and Corrections operations when it comes to dealing with violent, combative subjects, while avoiding or reducing physical confrontations with deputies. This technology will minimize injury to the subject(s) and/or department personnel and save lives. Tasers need to be issued to Deputy Sheriff's across the Department.

Our capital projects continue to move forward. The Larry D. Smith Correctional Facility expansion project is on track. Phase three is presently under design and should be out to competitive bid after summer. This will add 582 new jail beds and the space required to support those beds. I will require at a minimum 125 positions to staff the expansion, when the time comes.

Security doors at four correctional facilities remain in need of attention. We mentioned this in last year's budget presentation and cannot ignore the need for replacement or retrofitting. The life of the security doors in Indio, Riverside and Southwest and Smith Correctional Facility will be extended by replacement or retrofitting. The fact is that we can longer find the parts to repair them. Also, maintenance work is required at the Blythe Jail. This must be dealt with immediately as it is a safety and security concern.

The Sheriff's Perris Station is nearly complete and will be dedicated in August. Thank you for this much needed facility.

The Thermal Station is proceeding nicely. I am very pleased that your Board approved this project as the growth in the east Coachella Valley is placing incredible demands on my staff. They are simply out of room. Thank you.

Finally, the Palm Desert Station is a reality. I want to thank Supervisor Wilson for his leadership in making this project happen. I believe it will be a flagship station and construction should begin in the fall. The Mecca Sub Station will also assist us in our delivery of service to that community.

I am also very grateful for the acquisition of the third floor in our law criminal justice building. The allocation of this space will help unify our command and help improve our service delivery countywide. This is a big plus for us and I appreciate the work of the Executive Office for making it happen. Funding will be required for the renovation.

First, and most important, we must maintain our commitment to public safety. Based on the January 2007 California Department of Finance Report we need 34 sworn positions at an estimated cost of 2.1 million dollars. These positions will be phased in throughout the fiscal year.

I am asking for your support in purchasing and issuing the Taser device to Deputy Sheriff's across the Department. The estimated cost for 1,400 units and related training is two million dollars. The six month pilot program resulted in one hundred uses throughout the department with a 95% success rate. I believe that the Taser technology should be available to every Deputy to mitigate the use of deadly force. Taser technology saves lives. Thank you for your consideration.

I am respectfully requesting that your Board approve the creation of a Cold Case Unit. This investigative unit will be assigned to Central Homicide and will focus on all unsolved homicide cases in Riverside County. The request is for a Sergeant and two Investigators to begin operations. This would be $221,000 to fund half year cost. I would also like to point out to your Board that I have been working with District Attorney Pacheco on a Cold Case Grant application through the National Institute of Justice. We are submitting our request together and if successful will receive two Investigators and a Prosecutor. With your approval of this request, and good fortune, we would have a unit that consists of one Prosecutor, one Sergeant and four Investigators. I am certain the D.A. will mention this in his presentation as well. It is a priority and I believe necessary in that we have 2,400 unsolved homicide cases, dating back to 1941, in Riverside County. Thank you for consideration of this request.

I am also requesting that your Board approve the replacement of our last OH-58 helicopter at a cost of 3.5 million dollars. This is necessary because of the time it takes to actually take delivery of the aircraft. If ordered in August of 2007, delivery can be estimated for around December of 2008. I believe this request is timely because the OH-58 will be unserviceable within two years and our lease payments on the first two Eurocopters are complete in February of 2008. I want to thank you in advance for your consideration and continued support of our Aviation mission.

My submitted budget includes an add-back for the Aviation Program. Aviation has been reliant on a combination of General Fund support and Asset Forfeiture revenue to fund its operations. Pursuant to Asset Forfeiture Guidelines, we can only budget for what's currently in the fund. It is anticipated that the Asset Forfeiture fund balances will be completely exhausted by June 30, 2007. The requested add-back of 1.4 million will mitigate this loss of funding. This add-back is essential to sustain Aviation operations.

In order to improve service delivery and ensure a greater level of safety to our deputies in the field, I am proposing that we bolster our Aviation Program. Specifically, I intend to take four of the growth positions identified above and assign them to Aviation. This will give me two additional air crews and will result in an increase of 1,600 flight hours countywide. It will also provide us with the opportunity to get the maximum out of our existing fleet. I will also assign one additional sergeant to Aviation and create operational and administrative components within that bureau. It will also provide a span of control consistent with other operational areas of my department. This is necessary to stay aligned with the growth of the Aviation Bureau and plan for eventual retirements.

Aviation is clearly a specialized area of operation. Should your Board approve of this program expansion I will request two additional mechanics. The reason for this is to comply with industry standards that recognize one mechanic per turbine and having adequate staff to handle the increased maintenance associated with the increase in flight hours. I will do everything in my power to control costs, but this is a high priority for continued operational safety and success.

As mentioned earlier in the presentation, there are several Jail safety issues that need to be addressed at five of our correctional facilities. We cannot ignore the need for replacement/retrofitting of security doors and maintenance repairs throughout the division. This must be dealt with immediately as it is a safety and security concern. I estimate the cost of repairs to be 2.1 million dollars.

On 3/27/07 my Department, along with the DA's office submitted a Form 11 to increase staffing of the County Gang Task Force. The positions were approved but funding was deferred until the FY 07/08 budget process. I am now requesting funding 335,000 for 2 Deputy Sheriff's, a Crime Analyst and equipment.

The County established the ROVE and SAFE teams during this fiscal year. Because the teams would not be fully operational for the entire fiscal year, the County provided partial year funding. Full year funding for salaries and benefits were provided for next fiscal year but funding is needed for the team's overtime, specialty pay, and supplies and services I'm requesting $212,000 for ROVE and 594,000 for SAFE.

As I mentioned earlier, funding for support positions is needed to augment sworn personnel. I am requesting additional staff in Accounting and Finance, Personnel, Information Services Bureau, Central and Desert Dispatch Centers and the Telephone Reporting Unit. The positions will be phased in throughout the fiscal year at an estimated cost of 678 thousand.

The new Perris Station brings with it new operational cost currently not funded. I am requesting an additional $269,000 to fund these costs. Included in this request is $183,000 to fund recurring cost related to janitorial services, utilities, and building and ground maintenance. The remaining $86,000 will fund one time expenditures for equipment, instillation charges, and other moving related expenditures.

I also want to commend your Board for improving Code Enforcement operations. Code Enforcement has already began to improve the overall quality of life in Riverside County. I am requesting that you support the staffing request of Director Jay Orr. These positions will be necessary to continue our mutual enforcement efforts in Zone Policing. Director Orr is doing wonderful work and we will benefit greatly by adding staff to support our partnership countywide.

Zone Policing is implemented and we have already begun to work with Code Enforcement. I cannot impress upon you enough the importance of continuing our cooperative enforcement effort countywide.

I am requesting seven investigators along with supervisory and support staff this year for my Special Investigations Bureau at an estimated cost of 1.1 million dollars.

Phase 3 of the SCF expansion is progressing. The request for 125 positions phased on throughout the fiscal year is estimated at 4.6 million dollars.

I respectfully request your Board's support of my budget request.

Thank you for listening.

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