Civilian cop program slides into new city budget at cost of $10 million
Holy moly: KTRH-740 is reporting that MayorWhiteChiefHurtt's civilian traffic patrol will now cost $10 million for four or five years:
A last minute add-in to Houston Mayor Bill White's newly-approved budget will end up costing city taxpayers $10 million over the next four to five years.
Mayor White says the city will only spend about $1.7 million on the "Mobility Response Team" over the next 12 months, but he says he wants a secure source of funding in place to ensure the team continues its work. Once the traffic team is formed it will consist of 24 police service officers.
[snip]
Since it was announced last month, the traffic squad has drawn its share of criticism. Houston's largest police officers union calls it a proposal to add "cheap cops" to city streets. Police union president Hans Marticuic says it seems civilian traffic squad members will be used to perform many of the duties now done by the HPD motorcycle squad, known as the "SOLOs".
Some Houston Council Members have also been critical of where money for the plan is coming from. The city is shifting the $10 million from what was formerly the "street and bridge repair" fund. Council Member Pam Holm has accused White's administration of raiding that fund to pay for things which have nothing to do with fixing the roads. City officials have said nothing is illegal or improper about how Houston's paying for its new traffic squad.
$10 million over four years (and these things never come in under budget; you just KNOW this will end up costing much, much more), to pay for civilian cops out of a street and bridge repair fund.
Goodness.
PREVIOUSLY: Houston's civilian accident investigators, Hurtt: It's cheaper to hire civilian pseudo-cops than real cops, More on civilian traffic patrol
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 06/23/06 06:37 PM | Print |
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