Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1974 09-16 CCM Special Session i I MINUTES OF THE PROCEEDINGS OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF BROOKLYN CENTER IN THE COUNTY OF HENNEPIN AND THE STATE OF MINNESOTA SPECIAL SESSION SEPTEMBER 16, 1974 CITY HALL Call to Order The Brooklyn Center City Council met in special session and was called to order by Mayor Philip Cohen at 7:30 p.m. Roll Call Mayor Cohen, Councilmen Britts, Fignar, Kuefler and 7ensen. Also present were City Manager Donald Poss, Director of Finance Paul Holmlund, Director of Planning and Inspection Blair Tremere, and Administrative Assistant Daniel Hartman. 1975 Budget Hearing Motion by Councilman Britts and seconded by Councilman Fignar to reconvene the 1975 budget hearing. Voting in favor were: Mayor Cohen, Councilmen Britts, Kuefler, Fignar and Jensen. Voting against: none. The motion passed unanimously, The City Manager proceeded to review the individual General Fund accounts beginning with the Mayor and Ccuti ncil account and proceeding through the Government Buildings account in sequence. He explained deviations from past expenditure patterns and responded to questions from City Councilmen regarding various proposed expen- ditures and various program features. Proposed expen- ditures for LOGIS support in the Finance Office account generated discussion regarding the status of LOGIS and the extent of State grants which had been received by LOGIS members for LOGIS capital development. It was pointed rout that the Government Buildings account reflects much of the major impact of inflation as expressed through the high cast of energy in the form of heating fuel and electricity,, Recess The City Council recessed at 8:59 p.m. and resumed at 9:30 p. m, 1975 B Hearing Following the recess the City Manager next discussed the proposed Police Protection account, commenting that a major budgetary emphasis consisted of two training programs designed to enhance the capability of depart- ment personnel. He described the capital outlay recommendations, agreeing with Councilman Fignar that the vise of Revenue Sharing funds for such items as annually replaced squad cars constituted an ongoing reliance on Revenue Sharing funds. Various Council member questions were asked and responded to regarding budgetary recommendations and regarding various pro- grams of the Police Department. Councilman Britts inquired as to the sufficiency of the personnel complement and the comparative relationship of Brooklyn Center to other suburban municipalities, speoifically the comparison of ratio of sworn police officers to population. The City Manager responded that Brooklyn Center has typically refrained from the use of -1- 9 -16 -74 �I� sworn police officers per thousand population as a com- parison index. He commented that virtually every responsible study which has been undertaken during the past decade indicates that there is little or no correlation between numbers of policemen and the so- called "crime rate". He recited various studies which have been con- ducted including the President Crime Commission Reports, Metropolitan Council Criminal Justice Component of the Metropolitan Development Guide, a recent LEAH financed experiment in Kansas City, and n umerous other studies which put aside the myth that the "crime rate " is a function of numbers of law enforcement personnel. He related that telephone communication with the Kansas City Police Department indicated that its yet unpublished LEAA financed st udy would indicate that varying concentrations of law enforcement personnel applied to various demo- graphic districts within the City yielded no significant effect on the " "crime rate " of respective study areas. The City Manager st ated that while the mythological index ratio of police officers per thousand population at one time was popularly used by law enforcement bureaucrats in support of more and more personnel, enlightened police administrators have come to recognize that no such easy correlator exists. He suggested that perhapa the most reliable though somewhat abstract indicators consisted of departmental response time to calls for assistance and the related community attitudes regardiung response time and quality of service. He stated that the 1974 Budget Included the addition of two additional positions on the -i upporting basis that average response time during 1973 had noticeably declined. Councilman Kuefler commei� to the effect that the periodic Jaycees Cr: a munity Attitude Survey typically Indicated substantial satL.ptacti4a with law enforcement services Li Brooklyn Center, and that overall such response probably is the bet barometer of the quality of police service. Corvunoilman 7enL4en Inquired if a comparison could be drawn between cornu~< mr- cities on the basis of crime statistics. The City Manager responded that the whole subject of crime statltics and the so-- called "crime rate" was suspect for a variety of reasons. He pointed out that many demographic and characteristics impact on the types and am(�. urt of crime which is committed in a given area and that the statistical compilatic)n of reported crime is sub - ject to varying interpretatic'.ns from area to area, and often depending ":upon the political climate at the time. He illustrated by describing the impact which a major shopping center can have on the reporting of shoplifting incidents, the impact that the national economic situation has, the Impact of certain fads and practices such as the current immense popularity of expensive bicycles, and the impact of inflation which can cause an automatic reclassification of criminal activity from one year to the next The City Manager commented that the so- called "crime rate" is viewed by most enlightened observers as something con- siderably less than an accurate reflection of the extent of criminal activity from one area to another. 9 -15 -74 -2- Councilman Fignar commented that despite assertions of personnel deficiencies his periodic inquiries during past months indicated that personnel allocations were not :severely deficient as asserted. Mayor Cohen commented that even if true in absolute numbers, such assertions can serve only to invite criminal activity during periods of low personnel coverage. The City Manager responded that generally the amount of law enforcement personnel coverage has little, if any, Impact cm criminal activity suggesting that even an unreasonably high concentration of law enforcement personnel within the community would have little impact on the commission of home burglaries, for example. He suggested that crimes such as home burglaries can best be deterred by citizen awareness and citizen willingness to immediately report unusual observations and citizen willingness to participate in self protection programs such as the PIN Program. He stated that until citizen apathy is addressed to and overcome, criminal activity will continue to flourish and succeed. The City Manager concurred with Councilman Fignar that personnel deployment typically is adequate but that such deployment is made by police administrators on the informed basis of incident statistics and resulting crime probabilities. The City Manager next reviewed the Fire Protection account proposal responding to questions from Council- men . Recess The City Council recessed at 11 .-15 p.m. and reconvened at ;li.1, .-26 p. m. 1. X375 Budget Hears ag The City Manager next commenced review of proposed Gener,il Fund budget accounts, proceeding from the Planning and Inspection account through the Street Maintenance and Garage account. Mayas Cohen left the table and Councilman Kuefler assur.ed the chair at 12.-01 a.m. until 12:06 a.m. when Mayer Ccahen returned. Dis= slun continued regarding the various General Fund budget accounts from the Street Lighting account Into a p�)rtIrm of the Park and Recreation account. Co�sc�l member concern was expressed about the inability of the community to finance park improvements due to levy limitations and inflation. It was empha- sized, however, that the 1975 Budget proposal comprehends a continued level of park maintenance activity. AdjC' Motion, by Councilman Britts and seconded by Councilman Ten, en to adjourn and continue the 1975 budget hearing u?ratil September 23, 1974. Voting in favor were: Mayor Cohen, Councilmen Britts, Kuefler, Fignar and Jensen. Voting- against.- none. The motion passed unanimously. The Brr . Center City Cou adjou ed at 12 .-55 a,. m. Mayor !l f , -3- 9 -16 -74 i