LTC 119-2006 Police Department Staffing Study
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MIAMI BEACH
OFFICE OF THE CITY MANAGER
NO. LTC # 119-2006
LETTER TO COMMISSION
FROM:
Mayor David Dermer and Members of the City Commission
Jorge M. Gonzalez. City Manager \ ~
April 24, 2006 . U 0
Police Department Staffing Study
TO:
DATE:
SUBJECT:
The purpose of this LTC is to transmit the final report for the recently completed staffing
study conducted for the Police Department by Maximus, Inc. The study consisted of an
analysis of the current staffing and assignment levels of the Police Department, including
patrol, investigations, and special detail assignments. The consultants also evaluated the
impact of current staffing procedures and policies and other policies that impact the
availability for service and work performance.
Police Staffing Steering Committee
During various phases of the project, the consultant reported the current status and
reviewed findings to the Police Staffing Steering Committee, which comprised of
representatives from the Miami Beach Police Department, the Fraternal Order of Police, the
Office of Budget and Performance Improvement, Labor Relations, the Budget Advisory
Committee, the Police-Citizen Relations Committee, and a Miami Beach resident.
Specifically, the names of the Steering Committee members are as follows:
· Jery (Deede) Weithorn - CPA and Chair of the Budget Advisory Committee
· Mike Finesilver - Police-citizen Relations Committee
· Alex Rey - Town Manager, Town of Miami Lakes, Miami Beach resident
· Ofc. Robert Jenkins - President, Fraternal Order of Police
· Asst. Chief Patricia Schneider - Administrative Bureau
· Linda Gonzalez - Labor Relations Director
. Kathie Brooks - Director, Office of Budget and Performance Improvement
The Steering Committee meeting dates held and topics discussed were as follows:
· August 17,2005 - Kickoff meeting and work plan discussion
. November 29,2005 - Discuss findings on the current conditions
· March 23, 2006 - Review of the final document
The Steering Committee provided comments and insight throughout the study. Committee
comments regarding the final report focused on decreasing the response turnaround time for
investigations, the limitations on the number of "off-duty hours," and increasing the officer
show-up rate. The Steering Committee comments did not affect the findings and the
recommendations of the final report.
Background
The City of Miami Beach is uniquely challenged by the nature of being a 24-hour city, where
tourism and special events place heavy demands on overtime and off duty work on the
Police Department. For example, the consultants found that Miami Beach officers spend
almost as much time each week working off duty jobs as they do responding to calls for
service. In addition, the pattern of calls-for-service by time of day and day of week reflects
this unique environment. The factors were incorporated into the recommendations provided
by the consultant as summarized below.
Recommendations and Current Actions
1. Recommendation: Change in shift hour times
> Continue to use a four day, ten hour schedule, but with the following changes
to the shift times:
. Midnight
o From 2300 hours (11 :00 p.m.) to 900 hours (9:00 a.m.)
o To 2100 hours (9:00 p.m.) - 0700 hours (7:00 a.m.)
. Day
o From 700 hours (7:00 a.m.) to 1700 hours (5:00 p.m.)
o To 0630 hours (6:30 a.m.) - 1630 hours (4:30 p.m.)
. Evening
o From 1500 hours (3:00 p.m.) to 100 hours (1:00 a.m.)
o To 1600 hours (4:00 p.m.) - 0200 hours (2:00 a.m.)
Imolementation Actions
> This recommendation is currently being reviewed by the Police Department.
2. Recommendation: Additional 4th shift
> Add an overlay shift to the South District on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday
beginning at 8pm to 6am.
Imolementation Actions
> The Police Chief has added a 4th shift staffed by Bike Patrol from 8pm to 6am,
Thursday through Sunday. During the current contract negotiations underway, the
union has tentatively agreed to the additional shift.
> Additional resources are also being considered as part of the budget process.
3. Recommendation: Specialty Details
A TV - Beach Patrol
> Consider adding a second, overlapping shift to expand beach coverage from 5:00pm
to 1 :OOam.
> Install a monitored camera and enhanced lighting system to monitor the beach and
serve as a crime prevention tool.
Marine Patrol
> Implement a more thorough system of tracking calls for service.
Criminal Investications Unit
> Schedule detectives to work five 8.5 hours (includes lunch) with substantial weekend
and evening coverage so that investigations can be pursued while evidence is still
fresh and witnesses and victims are still readily available for interviews.
> Add Public Safety Specialist positions as Investigative Aides to Property Crimes,
Economic Crimes, and Auto Crimes. These civilians should be trained to support
investigators by making telephone calls, checking computer files and conducting
analysis to discover pattern crimes and repeat offenders.
Implementation Actions
> The addition of officers for Beach A TV patrol to provide overlapping coverage from
3:00pm to 1 :OOam Thursday through Sunday is being considered through the budget
process.
> The Marine Patrol has begun entering their calls for service in the Miami Beach
Police Department CAD system, and several new data elements are being
developed by the Marine Patrol to better track their calls
4. Recommendation: Traffic Enforcement
> Adopt a more strategic approach to traffic enforcement by establishing a traffic
collision analysis function.
Implementation Actions
> The Police Department is currently working with the Information Technology and the
Public Works departments to determine and obtain data to analyze traffic collision
information.
> The addition of additional Motor Unit officers to work in cooperation with the Parking
Department is being considered through the budget process.
5. Recommendation: Unanticipated Leave Policies
> Re-institute a leave buy back policy as an incentive to address use of unanticipated
leave that results in staffing shortages that have to be filled by officers on overtime.
> Place additional limitations on leave requests during the department's busiest
season.
> Change the provision of calling in advance for time off for vacation, floating holidays,
and religious holidays from 24 hours in advance to 14 days in advance.
Implementation Actions
> An annual sick leave sell back program is being discussed as part of contract
negotiations underway.
> The Police department currently limits leave requests to 4 officers during the
department's busiest season.
6. Recommendation: Fatigue factors
> Restrict the total number of hours an officer is reaularlv scheduled to work per seven
day period to 64 hours with additional restrictions as follows:
· No off-duty work can be performed in the six hours directly preceding an
officer's shift starting time.
· Once an officer works 64 hours in a seven-day work period, the officer can
work no additional "off-duty" hours, but may exceed 64 hours in order to
complete the officer's on duty schedule or to work overtime assignments.
> Consider regulations that permit police officers from other agencies to work off-duty
in Miami Beach, under the same rules as for Miami Beach officers.
Implementation Actions
> The Police Department is evaluating policy changes in regards to working off-duty
work prior to an officer's shift starting time.
7. Recommendation: Other Recommendations
> Enhancing the patrol response staffing and scheduling to meet the following
standards:
· District officers should handle 80%-90% of the calls for service workload in
their assigned district.
· District officers should average no more than 50%-60% of their available time
on calls for service during off-peak times.
· District officers should average no more than 70%-80% of their time on calls
for service during peak call for service hours as long as the 70%-80% time
commitment is no longer than four hours in duration.
> Change current policy stating that seniority not be the sole determinant governing
many of the policies of the Department.
> Adopt a formal problem oriented policing methodology to identify and track the work
of the personnel assigned to the RDAs.
> Consider using private security to fill various positions, such as finger printing
citizens, issuing parking tickets to violators of handicap parking, guarding prisoners
who are hospitalized and providing assistance on site to protect the integrity of crime
scenes.
In conclusion, we are moving forward in implementing various new improvements that are
aligned with the recommendations provided in this analysis. While it is not possible to
address all recommendations and areas at once, the major recommendations are being
immediately addressed and additional ones will be implemented as possible as we move
forward in the future.
Attached please find a copy of the final report submitted by Maximus for your review.
If you have any questions or need any additional information, please feel free to contact me.
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