HPD wants to use unpaid, reserve officers to fill the gaps
Here's an eye-opening story in the Chronicle:
Reserve officers — part-timers who work without pay but have full arrest powers — could return to the ranks at the Houston Police Department under a plan senior department officials are evaluating.
THIS is how HPD is going to address its manpower shortage, with part-time officers who aren't paid but have full powers to arrest?!
Officials want to know if adding reserve officers could help address the department's manpower troubles, including the effects of having large numbers of officers retiring at once.
"We have definitely talked about it," Chief Harold Hurtt said recently. "I had some of my staff research the required training for reserve officers, (but) we have not made a decision."
Thankfully, not everyone thinks it's a good idea:
Any plan that uses reserves would require approval from city leaders and, perhaps more challenging, from the Houston Police Officers' Union.
"We're absolutely against reserves," said Mark Clark, the union's executive director and an HPD officer for more than 20 years. "I don't think anybody inside the department would be in favor of that."
And what would be the benefit of using reserves?
Some agencies see reserve programs as a way to cut expenses. Officials with the Harris County Sheriff's Department said the agency saves about $2 million a year.
"They are a tremendous asset," Sheriff Tommy Thomas said. "They are supplementing our manpower. There's no question about that."
Hurtt didn't know what kind of financial benefits the department could reap if reserves are brought on board. An initial cost for training and providing weapons and equipment for the part-time officers is expected, he added.
I seriously doubt that Hurtt doesn't know what kind of financial benefits HPD would see by using reserves, since the story points out that Phoenix, where Hurtt was chief, has used reserves before. Hurtt also says there is an initial cost to train and equip the part-time officers. Why not use that money to actually work on some permanent, full-time officers?
Houston officials need to stop viewing HPD in terms of revenue. It is not the mission of HPD to be a revenue generator or a revenue saver. We have HPD babysitting SAFEclear, pushing for red light cameras and even speed radar cameras, and now wanting to use reserves to avoid dealing with a shortage of police officers and save some money at the same time. How long would Chief Hurtt like to use reserve officers to fill the gaps? Will HPD EVER deal with its manpower shortage?
KEVIN WHITED ADDS: Let me take a glib stab at Anne's last question -- HPD will deal with the manpower shortage once it becomes so acute that the Mayor and his Council are held accountable by citizens who are irate by skyrocketing crime. We aren't quite to that point just yet, but since Mayor White and the current council seem unwilling to tackle this problem head on (because it involves spending money, and they seem to have other priorities), we will reach that point.
Sadly, it will probably come after this current crew is gone, and after Mayor White has successfully run for his next office. Then, our local newspaper will probably be wondering why he didn't tackle HPD's manpower issues when he was mayor! Citizens and taxpayers, as usual, will have to deal with the problem (just like we are now dealing with various problems left over from Mayor Brown's administration).
Posted by Anne Linehan @ 03/21/05 10:46 AM | Houston Politics | Technorati | Sphere | Comments (2)
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