Letter from Captain Timothy Patton, West Police District, Madison Police Department, October 2020:
First, thank you. I greatly appreciate the opportunity to work with you all and for the occasions we have had to collaborate on issues and incidents that impact the residents of the West District and Madison. Thank you also for the community conversations that have assisted in gaining valuable input from residents on expectations, concerns and priorities. These virtual meetings have been especially valuable in overcoming the communication challenges presented by the covid pandemic.
Like I did a couple weeks back on the less lethal and tear gas topics before council, I’m reaching out again ahead of continued discussions related to the police budget. However I can be of assistance to you on the topic, please let me know. The city and police budget can be challenging to understand and it is clear from briefing room conversations to community meetings that incomplete and contradictory messages add to the confusion. We strive to be accessible and transparent and provide understandable information with the goal of addressing concerns, answering questions and explaining potential outcomes of these difficult budgetary decisions that you and the Mayor are faced with.
Here are some of the most frequent questions/topics that I am fielding and responses.
Does the executive budget increase funding to MPD from 2020? Yes – the cost to continue in 2021 increases primarily as a result of the city negotiated pay raises for MPPOA and AMPS that begin in January of 2021. This amounts to $3.825 million increase. There is also a $219,500 grant match increase and an $84,000 supplies and services increase.
Does the executive budget reduce the authorized strength of MPD? Yes – MPD’s authorized strength is being reduced from 483 to 479 as a result of eliminating the SRO Program. This accounts for $31,000 of the cuts in the 2021 executive budget and will result in an increase in workload to dayshift patrol once the schools re-open.
Does the executive budget cut funding to MPD beyond the SRO and the changes to Parking Enforcement and the Crossing Guards? Yes – There are an additional $1 million in cuts proposed that could be offset by MPPOA re-opening their contract and agreeing to concessions in that amount. If that does not occur, MPD will need to make additional cuts, possibly holding vacant civilian positions open; cutting commissioned positions; shrinking the academy size; or imposing furloughs on commissioned personnel. These cuts will adversely impact MPD service.
How many additional officers are needed based on the most recent patrol workload analysis done in 2019? 18 – MPD is understaffed when compared to peer cities and relevant national averages.
How many non-patrol or closed officer positions have been cut in recent years to move personnel back to patrol to account for increasing workload? 19 – from units to include: Safety Ed, PM TEST, Community Policing Teams, CORE, Gang and Neighborhood Officer positions.
When will the City absorb most of the Town of Madison and how many additional commissioned personnel does the analysis suggest will be required to account for the additional workload demands of this area? 2022 and 13 additional officers – The 2021 executive budget moves in the opposite direction, reducing MPD’s authorized strength. Waiting to add necessary officers to the 2022 academy will not have officers available in time to account for this.
Will the new initiatives included in the executive budget, related to mental health response and violence prevention, relieve workload on MPD? Unknown – both initiatives are in early stages and far from being ready to evaluate for their potential. MPD is involved in both and supports the concepts however there a number of potential hurdles and unknowns to include state law requiring involvement of law enforcement in significant aspects of mental health response.
Does the unprecedented gun violence in Madison in 2020 represent a significant drain on MPD resources? Yes – Shots fired incidents are up 76% through September compared to 2019 and we are experiencing record numbers of casings recovered and persons struck by gunfire. These calls and follow up investigations tie up large number of personnel for extended periods of time resulting in more time spent on priority calls and thereby significant delays or inability to respond to other call types.473 shell casings were recovered in Madison in all of 2019. Through the end of September, we have recovered 837 in 2020. Gun violence, property crimes and dangerous driving continue to be the top three concerns of the residents I hear from.
Does the executive budget reflect a functional cut to MPD and the services that we are able to provide to the community? Yes
I would be happy to discuss this with you and would appreciate your thoughts and any questions you might have. I’m especially interested if there are aspects of my responses that you find misleading or incomplete in anyway. Also let me know if you would like additional information on any of these topics. I will use this outline, and any additional input I receive from you all, in upcoming conversations with West PD personnel and West District residents. I won’t reproduce or forward on your responses without first checking in with you.
Thank you.
Captain Timothy Patton
West Police District
Madison Police Department
1710 McKenna Blvd
Madison WI 53711
Office: (608) 243-0503