WPCNR POLICE GAZETTE. By John F. Bailey. May 2, 2003: At the Budget Session on Public Safety Thursday evening, Commissioner Frank Straub delivered the most impressive presentation Jim Benerofe, veteran City Hall Reporter can ever remember being delivered to the Common Council. In a tough budget year, he convinced the Common Council to approve “on spec” the hiring of 10 new police officers (1 Sergeant, 1 lieutenant and 8 new officers) beyond the present mandated police compliment of 205 officers, increasing total police strength to 215 men and women.
THE COMMISSIONER READIES POLICE FOR THE NEW WHITE PLAINS: Commissioner Straub said he was hopeful that the present rate of growth of the city’s development would provide the additonal funds to begin hiring the 10 new officers by January, 2004, with the officers coming on duty at the beginning of 2005.
Photo by WPCNR News
In a 30-minute Power Point presentation, featuring an “Eyewitness News” television report, the Commissioner, on the job about 11 months, detailed the rapid changes in White Plains necessitating the request for increased officer power.
The Same Posse for 28 years.
He noted that the police and fire departments today have the same number of officers and firefighters as they did back in 1975. Today White Plains has 198 police (7 vacancies), the same as 1975, and 173 firefighters, also the same.
Population, Straub said, has risen from 48,900 in 1991 to 57,655, today including an expected 4,480 new residents from 1,859 new housing units coming on line by 2005.
Doing more with the Same
Commissioner Straub documented the increased activity of the underpersoned Police Department since he took office.
He reported fire inspections have increased 98%; 5 suspected illegal housing units with 62 violations have been isolated; inspections of cabaret and bars have increased 28%, (including extensive briefings of owners on escape procedures and safety).
Most recently the introduction of Operation Safe Streets has resulted in the issuing of 1,000 summonses in 14 days, 393 of which were for speeding. Straub estimated each summons was approximately $75.
Proactive Strategies
The Commissioner reported to the Council that crime apprehensions were up in one year to date, using the same manpower: Narcotics arrests are up 38% in a year; the Mounted Unit is now being used for crime patrols, resulting in its first arrest recently; the new 4-person Anti-Crime Unit has made 80 arrests through February; and Problem Oriented Policing has made 52% more arrests, and the new Bicycle Unit has been met with great enthusiasm by merchants and citizens.
Makes the case for Increased Sales Taxes Will fund the new Officers
Dr. Straub detailed the projects scheduled to come on line within the next two years, and suggested to the Common Council that the resulting sales taxes from the City Center and Fortunoffs would generate more sales taxes by next spring to begin hiring the new officers with confidence.
New Rescue Truck: $250,000
For the Fire Department, Straub called for a new Rescue Truck at a cost of $250,000, to enable White Plains Fire Fighters to refill oxygen tanks without having to take air cylinders back to the Fire Headquarters, (which they have to do now), or have to call in such Rescue Trucks from neighboring fire departments. The truck, Straub said, was necessary for the WPFD to be able to handle a biochemical or major disaster independently and self-sufficiently.
Asked if the Fire Department needed more personnel, Straub said that by filling the 7 vacancies that now exist in the White Plains Fire Department, and using fire fighters on overtime, the department will have enough manpower. (During the search to fill those vacancies, overtime shifts have been instituted to staff up all the apparatus in the city, Straub said.)
Operating 7 Short
Presently, the police department is operating at 198 men and women, and Straub hopes to fill those vacancies and then add the 10, as yet unfunded officers.
“No Manna From Heaven” or Washington.
Asked about government financial aid to staff up for the terrorist threat to White Plains, Straub said that he and his commissioners were convinced based on a terror conference they attended in Washington last week that large amounts of federal aid would not be coming from Washington “any time soon.” He noted that the major cities of Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York would receive aid first, then the states based on population, then would come counties and the cities.
He expressed the opinion that Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s New York City expenditures of $13 million weekly for security without funding sources was a huge financial risk, setting the stage for “a severe fiscal crisis” if the federal government did not deliver Bloomberg the aid to pay for it.
Straub noted the White Plains Police and Fire Departments were attempting to expand to meet the threats posed by terrorism and White Plains changing population dynamics in a prudent manner.
Hire, Fund When Ready. Council to Make the Call by Late Fall.
Budget Director Ann Reasoner said the Common Council would be revisited as next year’s financial trends emerge for approval before the new officers would actually be hired and trained.
WPCNR estimates that at $112,000 to train new officers, plus their salaries the added compliment of officers Straub requests will cost the city approximately $2 Million.
A VERY SECURE ROTUNDA: The Police and Fire Budget Task Force secured the hallowed rotunda of City Hall last night, awaiting their budget presentation. “The Three Mesquiters,” Commissioner Frank Straub, partially hidden second on right, Deputy Commissioner David Chong, facing camera; Deputy Commissioner Charles Jennings, middleground, left, and a Police and Fire contingent proceeded quietly to fill the Mayor’s Council Chamber.
Photo by WPCNR News