Toronto’s Police Budget Needs Realistic Spending Cuts, Zero Based Budgeting in 2011.

April 20, 2010 - PRLog -- Incumbent councillors will not debate the police budget for 2010 but just give lip service for the need to reduce spending as they have for the past seven years with no meaningful long term results.

Their chronic spending habits will continue until they are soundly defeated at the polls on October 25, 2010.

I, Peter CLARKE propose the following for implementation prior to the 2011 Police Service Boards Budget process by a new council.

Considering that over 90% of The Police budget goes for salaries and benefits for 5, 510 police personnel and 2,000 civilian employees, we must start by having all benefits on a co-payment basis and NOT paid 100% by the city. Perhaps on a 70% to 30% benefit cost sharing plan.

Policing is only one of the core services of Toronto and a fundamental one but like all budget components of the city it must be based on realistic costing beginning in 2011 with a zero based budgeting process.

I strongly believe that a new council, in order to maintain the public’s trust and confidence for a safe city, must prioritize the existing services and programs of the Police department on a line by line basis by also reducing the civilian component of the force by 10% to 15% in 2011.

We further must reduce and redeploy 30 officers from the mounted unit along with a reduction of the present number of 28 horses to 18. Thus leaving the mounted unit with 13 officers, which is similar to the number for mounted units in other cities.

The current TTC special transit police should be retired and not absorbed by the Toronto police force. The TTC could offer them other positions within the TTC and if they refuse then unfortunately they would have to be laid off.

The parking enforcement unit should be taken completely out of the hand of the Police Services Board and come under the bylaw control department on a self sustaining operating basis that must produce a profit on an annual basis.

Eliminate the time and half paid for these employees to attend court as this is just part of their job. With cameras at intersection for speeders and stopping infractions this revenue will cover the cost for the time these officers would not be issuing tickets because of court appearances.

The pay for court time for police officers should be uploaded to the province and included in the provinces justice ministers budget as that is where it belongs.
All awards issued by provincial arbitrators that are above the annual rate of inflation must be uploaded back to the province as they mandated such salary increase.

Police officers retention pay must be eliminated and based solely on job preference, education and ability to handle the position. This also must apply to all promotions from within the force to ensure that all promotions are based on education, ability and special skills not on gender or other issues.

Eliminate the two officers in a patrol car that was an arbitration wards by the province. This would free up hundreds of our officers for other more pressing duties as driving around the city two per car.

With today’s GPS technology etc, an officer can always call for immediate back up when necessary. Further upload these costs for a two officer patrol unit back to the province as it was their arbitration award in the first place.

In no way would any of these proposals adversely affect “the delivery of effective and adequate policing” for the citizens of Toronto.

If the current Chief and his senior staff cannot manage within these types of frame work then perhaps the time has come to consider other cost reducing measures along with a new chief of Police together with a new Police Service Board.

For a new council in 2011 not implement some or all of these proposals would be irresponsible and reprehensible considering the current fiscal problems facing Toronto Renters, Condo, Homeowners and Businesses alike and all thanks to incumbent councillors and the outgoing Mayors left leaning ideologies of the past seven years.

peterclarketoronto.com

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CLARKE an INDEPENDENT NOT a CAREER Politician or supporter of any political party, special interest group or lobbyists. PETER is your average citizen candidate and answerable only to the people NOT a political party, special interest group or lobbyist