An uptick in the city’s violent crime rate, a drug problem that isn’t getting any better and budget cuts in recent years.
That’s the scene Sheriff John Rutherford painted Thursday for a City Council that’s taking an early look at the city’s budget. To head off those negative trends, Rutherford said he needs $8.1 million to hire 40 additional officers and 40 community service officers for next year.
“It’s simple,” Rutherford said. “More policing takes more police.”
The office decreased in size by 147 officers last year and the community service program was eliminated in 2012. The latter provided assistance for minor calls, which frees up sworn officers for other responsibilities.
The sheriff’s office $390 million budget is more than 85 percent salaries and benefits.
“We are a staff-driven business,” Rutherford told the group. “When people call, somebody has to go.”
Rutherford provided statistics that showed Jacksonville has the highest murder rate among Florida counties with populations greater than 250,000.
He showed that Jacksonville, when compared to other major Florida cities, is near the bottom in per capita spending and number of officers per 1,000 residents.
Rutherford used larger cities around the country to show his department has a higher number of service calls per sworn officer.
Council member Richard Clark said he struggled with the sheriff using different comparisons for the statistics.
He told the sheriff he favored looking into how to bring back some community service officers, afterward saying he’s had many patrol officers relay to him how important the program was in helping them with their jobs.
As for the $8.1 million request, Clark said it’s early in the budget process and he thinks the Finance Committee will look at everybody’s “asks” and the overall budget before making any determinations.
Council member Matt Schellenberg afterward said he wanted to see how much more efficient the sheriff’s office — and all departments — could be to help offset costs before providing budget boosts.
Rutherford told the group he estimated the department would realize about $400,000 in savings heading into next year, but did not explain those savings.
Schellenberg also said Mayor Alvin Brown needs to “stop the bleeding” in regard to pension costs, which has sapped department budgets.
Rutherford told the group about 20 percent of his personnel costs came from pension requirements.
A task force recently wrapped up its suggestions and submitted them to Brown and council members, who have had a couple of legally allowed private meetings with the administration.
The sheriff’s requests in the fall could end up being more in other areas, too.
In addition to staffing, Rutherford presented talked about “deplorable” and “almost unsafe” conditions of the office’s firing range, a series of five trailers.
Annie Smith, director of personnel and professional standards, said one is uninhabitable because of black mold.
Fleet management is another challenge, with new vehicles needed to reduce maintenance costs and provide adequate staffing needs, Rutherford said.
He also recommended building a misdemeanor release facility and a homeless shelter near the county line near County Road 301 that could work in tandem to assist those who are not “service ready,” or could be repeat offenders.
The release facility he estimates would cost about $400,000, with the shelter facility being built and operated by another group or department, which he did not identify.
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