By JIM AUSTIN
Cooperstown Crier

Police Chief Diana Nicols wants the mayor and Board of Trustees to reinstate money that was cut from her budget request so that she will be able to provide 24- hour police coverage in the village all year long.

Village Police Committee Chair Lynne Mebust said this week that the department’s personnel budget request was cut back to slightly more than last year’s level. The problem, she said, is that with the PBA contract settlement, the cost of providing continuous coverage has increased. Nicols budget request reflected the same number of shifts, but the cost was up and the board balked at the increase.

Mebust said during the summer season the department will provide 24/7 coverage, but without the restoration of the additional funding by the fall, some shifts will go unmanned later in the year.

According to a memo from Nicols to the trustees, the department has typically averaged between 1,450 and 1,500 patrol shifts a year.

The total minimum shifts for the year would be 1,328, but that does not include extra coverage for the many special events, parades, games, and concerts each year.

Currently the budget contains enough for 1,012 shifts by full-time officers and another 125 staffed by parttime officers for a total of 1,137 shifts or about 300 few shifts in a typical year.

``This budget essentially eliminates all the night shifts for the year, or half the night shifts and all community events,’’ Nicols wrote in her memo.

One result of the current budget will likely be the loss of many of the part time officers. That would mean most sick days and holidays would be covered by full-time officers at higher over-time rates.

It creates a vicious cycle, she said, because the use the higher overtime pay would eat into the money for regular, straight time shifts. The fewer straight shifts that get covered, the more overtime pay is required.

``The substantial contractual raises of the four PBS officers leave little enough that our part-time force will be almost abolished,’’ her memo to the trustees stated.

Without coverage around the clock, emergencies would have to handled by the State Police because the county does not have a deputy available from 2 to 6 a.m. The State Police response time may be as long as 45 minutes, according to Nicols.

Non-emergency calls that come in during off duty times would have to be answered by an officer on a later shift in addition to their regular duties and may result in additional overtime hours.

The department may also have to cut back on some of the community service functions they provide. Nicols’ original budget request for personnel was $358,227, and included the salaries for the chief, sergeant, four full-time officers, part-time officers, one full-time and one part-time parking enforcement officer.

The trustees cut her request by $38,000.

``My request was not my wish list,’’ Nicols said Wednesday morning, adding that if the trustees restored the budget cut it would be enough maintain continuous coverage.

Nicols said she is keeping all shifts covered during the summer, but is not able to cover community events the way she would like.

``I have to go under the assumption that I will have the $320,000,’’ she said. Last month, she asked the police committee to recommend to the board that the cut be restored. A recommendation is expected to come out of that committee when it meets later this month.

Mebust chairs the committee and said providing police personnel has become more expensive, but that she supports the chief’s request.

Nicols said believes village residents have an expectation of 24-hour coverage.

Her department has a typical response time of two minutes or less, but residents may be waiting much longer if nighttime shifts are not covered later this year. She also worries that with no officer on duty there may be an increase in the number of burglaries reported.

``The people of Cooperstown have been paying for it [full coverage] and expect to receive a higher level of service,’’ she said. ``This is like the village board selling the lawn mower because the grass looks good today.’’