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.’’
