11 Police Officer Allocation Study

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lost, serious analysis should be done before absorbing these positions into the departmental budget. These officers currently stay quite busy with proactive activities and also act as a safety valve for periods of high caseload for the reactive investigators. They are the only unit that can be deployed on special enforcement or special investigative activities (such as a series of robberies or rapes) without having to put other officers on overtime. This clearly benefits the citizens of Paris both financially and in crime prevention and reduction. If funding is lost however, consideration should be given to the judicious use of overtime for these special needs. Overtime is often a better financial solution to personnel needs because it can be used in smaller increments (2-3 hours at a time as opposed to having to work a 12 hour or 8 hour shift) and in smaller time periods (1-2 months instead of an entire year if an employee is hired full time). The job responsibilities of the Crime Prevention Officer make one wonder how he is able to accomplish all he has assigned. Crime prevention activities are a key element in all crime reduction strategies and cannot be neglected. Crime Prevention Officers must have specific training in order to conduct home and business security surveys which allow discounts off of insurance premiums. Training in Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design concepts and participation in the construction permit design process can impact crime occurrence for years to come. No change in staffing in this position is recommended. Service Operations The Services Division has only the one Sergeant, who supervises the Animal Control unit, and manages the Property and Evidence function, and one Police Officer assigned as Warrant Officer. The Communications, Records, and Animal Control functions appear to be adequately staffed and no recommendations for change are made. No change is recommended for the Warrant Officer position. Page 47