BY THE NUMBERS
* 472: Total sworn positions available
* 30: Approximate shortfall of officers
* 29: Size of most recent academy graduate class
* 29: Unfunded, unfilled officer positions
* 1: Frozen, unfunded sergeant position
Source: Chattanooga Police Department
The Chattanooga Police Department didn't hire any new officers in 2009 and, because of city budget constraints, has no plans to do so during fiscal year 2010.
"Money could come from somewhere before the end of the 2009-2010 budget year," police Chief Freeman Cooper said. "But I have no idea where that money might be coming from."
The police department is short about 30 officers and could be down as many as 50 by the end of the fiscal year because of retirements, resignations and terminations, Chief Cooper said.
"We're not suffering in day-to-day operations," he said. "Even if we had an academy going, we'd be short that many on the street anyway. We're 30 to 40 police officers down at some point in the year every year."
Academy graduates usually fill those holes, but the department has frozen 29 officer positions and one sergeant post, he said. The most recent academy class graduated in February.
By the end of this year, as many as eight sergeant positions could be vacant, only one of which can't be filled. A captain position also can be filled, Chief Cooper said. The promotions come with pay raises, he said, but they leave vacancies in the lower ranks.
He said he hopes to have an academy in mid-2010.
Investigator Toby Hewitt, president of the Fraternal Order of Police, said the shortage concerns police officers.
Promotions ripple through the department when promoted officers aren't replaced, he said. Fewer officers on the street mean longer response times, and fewer investigators mean backed-up caseloads, Investigator Hewitt said.
"I think it would be a little bit of a morale booster to know they're starting an academy and better days are ahead," he said. "It would be good to know help is coming."
City spokesman Richard Beeland said police staffing levels will be discussed in spring budget hearings.
"If there's a funding opportunity available to us to explore having an academy before (the next fiscal year), then on the recommendation of the chief of police, if that's something he wants to pursue or sees it's necessary, by all means we'll pursue it," Mr. Beeland said.
Why can't you have non-payed reserve police officers, That are trained in your dept. by your officers. When I lived in Ohio they had reserve officers and it was a great help to the police dept. They rode with a regular police officer and worked out really well for traffic and fairs etc. The good thing was that is where the dept got its regular officers after a few years of training. It could work here also.
This is the same police dept that will cover the newly annexed areas with the existing force? uh huh right
Denni
They used to have Reserve officers here but as I understand it they are now required to have the same training as regular officers. Very few people can afford to take that much time off to attend several months of police academy training for a volunteer job.
Easy solution-- get a carry permit and protect yourself...yeah, that's a novel approach but it works.
"When seconds count, help is only minutes away."
Wonder what happened to all that stimulus money that came to Tennessee specifically for police departments? Hmmm....
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