$229 Million Extra to Restore 830 Police in Oakland in 5 Years, Report Says

Amid the many tables and cost projections prepared for the Oakland City Council's upcoming budget workshop on April 2 are some big numbers on the price of restoring the police force to 830 sworn officers.

A report prepared for the council meeting by City Administrator Deanna Santana's office says the cumulative cost of gradually increasing the force to 833 sworn officers by fiscal year 2017-18 would be $178 million for just the officers, plus $31 million to restore needed support staff now missing, and $20 million for additional sworn supervisory staff and non-sworn staff.

Although the police department saw its ranks grow to 649 with 38 new officers added in an academy graduation on March 22, it is still short-staffed amid high community anxiety about widespread crime.

The cost estimates, based on the fiscal 2013-15 baseline budget, include the assumption that the department would conduct two police academies a year. It forecasts 705 sworn officers in fiscal year 2013-14, 737 in 2014-15, 769 in 2015-2016, 801 in 2016-17 and 833 in 2017-18.

The report also includes costs for other police staffing scenarios. The lowest cost would be to cease holding police academies after the one that starts in September. With an average attrition rate of 48 officers a year, the force would be projected to fall to 473 by fiscal 2017-18, the report says.

The second least costly scenario, of conducting one police academy a year, would add $89 million above the baseline and result in 633 officers on the force in 2017-18.

The most ambitious scenario – of increasing the force to the approximately 925 officers needed to meet the patrol function in the department's General Plan and to restore critical civilian staff – is estimated to cost a cumulative $284 million over five years.

The report notes that the department is currently short not only of officers but also of the following 56 civilian staff: 15 evidence technicians, 5 records specialists, 1 records supervisor, 4 criminalists, 1 fingerprint examiner, 17 dispatchers, 3 communications supervisors and 10 administrative analysts.

Police spending is one part of a large budget preview report as the city prepares its two-year budget for fiscal 2013-15. The budget workshop, which occurs during the regular council meeting, "marks the beginning of the budget development public hearings and provides an opportunity for the City Council to discuss details, ask questions, or provide feedback," says the report from Santana's office.

"No decisions or direction will be required of the City Council during this workshop, but input from the City Council will greatly assist the Administration with understanding the policy priorities of the City Council and establish a common set of facts about the City's budget condition," the report says.