Budget Day 4 Pittsfield: Police Budget Reduced by $205,000
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — On the fourth day of budget hearings on Tuesday, the City Council passed three departmental budgets while experiencing technical difficulties because of power outages.
The Fire Department and Emergency Management budgets were preliminarily approved with little or no conversation and the panel passed an amended Police Department budget after hours of deliberation.
Ward 1 Councilor Helen Moon motioned for seven amendments to the $11.5 million Police Department budget. Two were passed, reducing $15,000 from the contractual allowances line item and $190,000 from the patrol officers' allotment.
"I'm asking all of us to put the same kind of critical lens that we use on other departments, as seen for line item integrity that we ask for in other departments and fiscal responsibility, that kind of oversight on the Police Department as well," she said.
"It seems like we're able to ask and question any other department, but when it comes to asking questions about the Police Department, it's this big taboo and we're not allowed to do it because otherwise we're anti-police and that is not the case."
The council took two recesses during the meeting over the Zoom platform because of power loss throughout the city from an unknown source.
Fire Department
The $8,781,434 budget was approved in a unanimous vote with little debate. This is a $354,476 increase from last year, which is largely related to contractual obligations.
Members of the council expressed gratitude to the Fire Department for its services to the city.
| Account Name | 2018 Approval | 2019 Approval | 2020 Approval | 2021 Approval | 2022 Approval | ||
| Fire Chief | $99,775 | $103,371 | $98,500 | $114,800 | $121,824 | ||
| Deputy Fire Chiefs | $363,235 | $396,000 | $405,279 | $424,663 | $435,280 | ||
| Fire Captains | $831,669 | $897,000 | $1,134,882 | $1,134,882 | $1,163,254 | ||
| Fire Lieutenants | $1,020,000 | $1,088,855 | $1,266,635 | $1,266,635 | $1,298,300 | ||
| Firefighters | $3,320,307 | $3,716,000 | $4,298,751 | $4,298,751 | $4,494,219 | ||
| Head Clerk | $32,025 | $33,340 | $35,288 | $35,288 | $37,465 | ||
| Master Mechanic | $68,470 | $72,975 | $73,876 | $75,254 | $76,759 | ||
| Principal Clerk | $32,350 | $32,846 | $28,821 | $28,821 | $30,355 | ||
| Office Manager | $40,203 | $42,000 | $43,864 | $43,864 | $44,978 | ||
| Emergency Apparatus Staffing | $50,000 | $30,000 | $35,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | ||
| Emergency Manning | $700,000 | $400,000 | $375,000 | $375,000 | $450,000 | ||
| Assuming Additional Response | $30,000 | $25,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | $20,000 | ||
| Uniforms | $139,000 | $120,000 | $122,000 | $122,000 | $122,000 | ||
| Maintenance General | $13,000 | $13,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | ||
| Vehicle Maintenance | $140,000 | $200,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 | ||
| Medical Maintenance | $13,000 | $13,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | ||
| Education and Training | $25,000 | $20,000 | $22,000 | $22,000 | $22,000 | ||
| Special Opts Training | $35,000 | $35,000 | |||||
| Arson Investigation | $4,000 | $10,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Supplies | $8,000 | $8,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||
| Equipment | $30,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 | $40,000 | ||
| Equipment Replacement | $35,000 | $35,000 | $45,000 | $45,000 | $45,000 | ||
| CAD License/Maint/Admin Fees | $31,000 | $53,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | $50,000 | ||
| Total | $7,026,034 | $7,339,387 | $8,389,896 | $8,426,958 | $8,781,434 |
Emergency Management
The $26,400 budget was unanimously approved with no discussion. It has remained the same from 2018 to 2021.
| Account Name | 2018 Approval | 2019 Approval | 2020 Approval | 2021 Approval | 2022 Approval | ||
| Deputy Director of Emergency Management | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Utilities | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Education and Training | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | ||
| Code Red | $23,000 | $23,000 | $23,000 | $23,000 | $23,000 | ||
| Supplies | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | $100 | ||
| Emergency Operating Center | $2,800 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $2,800 | $2,800 | ||
| Radio Amateur | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Radio Citizen | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Total | $26,400 | $26,400 |
$26,400 |
$26,400 | $26,400 |
Police:
After several hours of debate, the $11,516,231 budget was amended from the mayoral approval of $11,721,231 with $15,000 deducted from contractual allowances and $190,000 from the patrol officers line item, which was motioned by Councilor Moon.
The amended amount passed in a 9-1 vote with Moon opposing.
This is a $191,932 total increase from last year, largely because of a new computer license/support line item in the amount of $162,712.
Mayor Linda Tyer responded to the petitions and emails the council received regarding favored budget cuts in the Police Department. These include a petition by Invest in Pittsfield opposing the proposed 3.5 percent budget increase for the Pittsfield Police Department, or a $55 million new police station.
Several residents also called into the meeting to express a wish for defunding within the department.
Tyer outlined the $825,000 that has been distributed to human service agencies in Pittsfield over the last four years.
During COVID-19, $125,000 in block grant funding was provided to human service programs in their efforts to respond to the pandemic, she said, an additional $289,000 was given to Berkshire County Regional Housing Authority for rental and homeownership assistance for people who fell on hardship during COVID-19.
Tyer also outlined the $500,000 At Home in Pittsfield program that gives forgivable grants to residents who do not have access to traditional bank programs. She also pointed out grant programs that come through the Pittsfield police department that are given to trusted community partners to advance their work within the most vulnerable communities.
She also emphasized the importance of Shotspotter, a $240,000 annual program that detects shootings in the city with a true positive rate of 22 percent. Tyer pointed to the incident that happened early that morning, in which a 27-year-old resident sustained multiple gunshot wounds.
"At 4:28 a.m. this morning, a shooting took place on First Street, no calls were received prior to the police being dispatched by a Shotspotter activation, police immediately responded. A caller had called in and was on the phone with dispatch when she also flagged down the first responding officers. Upon arriving at the Shotspotter identified location, police found a 27-year-old Pittsfield man who had sustained multiple gunshot wounds, he was transported to the NC where he is currently receiving treatment for his injury," she said.
"Sadly, Pittsfield continues to be challenged by gun violence, and Shotspotter still fits into the overall law enforcement strategy. Despite this particular data point 70 percent positive rate versus a true positive rate of 22 percent, I still strongly believe that Shotspotter is a vital public safety technology and the cost is justified, Shotspotter is an invaluable tool for police to react quickly to a precise location when responding to a gun crime, assisting victims and collecting evidence."
When queried, Finance Director Matthew Kerwood confirmed that the patrol officer budget line was over-budgeted $190,000. This led a majority of the council to agree with the $190,000 decrease.
Moon unsuccessfully motioned to reduce the ammunition line item by $15,000; student expenses by $25,000; patrol officers by $290,000 (which was amended to $190,000 and passed); scheduled overtime by $100,000, and elimination of Shotspotter by reducing the line item by $240,000.
Ward 2 Councilor Kevin Morandi, Ward 4 Councilor Chris Connell, and Ward 7 Councilor Anthony Maffuccio did not support any budget cuts within the department. They also thanked the Pittsfield Police for their service to the community.
Maffuccio said the council members looking to defund the Police Department should be ashamed of themselves, stating that some wards may be safer than others but Ward 7 is certainly not safe and requires the police's presence.
| Account Name | 2018 Approval | 2019 Approval | 2020 Approval | 2021 Approval | 2022 Approval | ||
| Police Chief | $115,000 | $118,476 | $123,936 | $127,034 | $133,491 | ||
| Police Captains | $251,062 | $261,055 | $333,760 | $352,266 | $366,548 | ||
| Police Lieutenants | $405,734 | $414,243 | $661,000 | $696,319 | $712,548 | ||
| Police Sergeants | $872,117 | $910,212 | $1,139,536 | $1,223,386 | $1,236,564 | ||
| Safety Officer | $66,414 | $69,329 | $93,530 | $67,511 | $72,750 | ||
| Detectives | $516,140 | $516,140 | $596,198 | $634,091 | $643,602 | ||
| Patrol Officers | $3,720,166 | $3,618,829 | $4,422,120 | $4,187,207 | $4,182,428 | ||
| Mechanic | $49,662 | $52,050 | $53,893 | $56,733 | $58,672 | ||
| Drug Enforcement | $225,000 | $225,000 | $225,000 | $215,000 | $248,685 | ||
| Dispatchers | $523,680 | $523,680 | $523,680 | $573,049 | $599,046 | ||
| Animal Control Officer | $62,542 | $64,963 | $66,398 | $66,398 | $71,131 | ||
| Special Response Team | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | ||
| Custodian | $37,818 | $39,418 | $42,406 | $44.526 | $46,032 | ||
| Finance and Admin Manager | $60,000 | $65,607 | $68,591 | $72,433 | |||
| Exe. Admin Assit & Police Chief Ass | - | - | - | $83,416 | $99,772 | ||
| Sr. Clerk Typist/Conf. | $116,668 | $77,782 | $77,782 | - | - | ||
| Senior Clerk Typist | $70,256 | $72,364 | $72,364 | $72,837 | $75,327 | ||
| Animal Control Comm Clerk | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $1,000 | $2,000 | ||
| Matrons | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | ||
| Temporary Labor | $15,000 | $0 | $9,742 | $10,000 | $10,000 | ||
| Auxiliary Police | $3,000 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Special Investigation OT | $40,000 | $42,800 | $60,000 | $60,000 | $60,000 | ||
| Special Events OT | $125,000 | $120,000 | $120,000 | $70,000 | $50,000 | ||
| Scheduled Overtime | $900,000 | $900,000 | $1,000,000 | $1,275,000 | $1,275,500 | ||
| Dispatchers OT | $110,000 | $110,000 | $110,000 | $110,000 | $110,000 | ||
| Crime Analyst | $49,390 | $52,689 | $53,928 | $56,165 | $58,902 | ||
| Community Outreach OT | $12,500 | $12,500 | $12,500 | ||||
| Information/Technology Mgr. | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Police Science | $1,000,000 | $1,214,413 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| In Service | $70,000 | $70,000 | $70,000 | $70,000 | $70,000 | ||
| Contracted Services | $85,000 | $85,000 | |||||
| Student Officer Expenses | $0 | $55,200 | $115,000 | $125,000 | |||
| Shotspotter | $240,000 | $240,000 | $240,000 | ||||
| Insurance Deductibles | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| Animal Control Testing Fees | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 | $200 | ||
| Uniforms | $60,000 | $86,600 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | ||
| Computer license/Support (New) | - | - | - | - | $162,712 | ||
| Maintenance/Support | $185,000 | $195,000 | $213,000 | $239,600 | $92,888 | ||
| Police Education | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $15,000 | $45,000 | ||
| Shipping/Postage | $1,200 | $500 | $500 | $500 | $500 | ||
| Printing | $3,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | $2,000 | ||
| Traffic Enforcement EQ | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | ||
| K9 Care and Supplies | $5,500 | $5,500 | $7,000 | $8,000 | $10,000 | ||
| Office Supplies | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $11,000 | $11,000 | ||
| Drug Enforcement Expenses | $15,000 | $15,000 | $10,000 | $16,800 | $16,800 | ||
| Ammunition | $15,000 | $25,000 | $30,000 | $30,000 | $40,000 | ||
| Special Investigation Expenses | $4,500 | $4,000 | $6,500 | $6,500 | $6,500 | ||
| Care of Prisoners | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $14,000 | $14,000 | ||
| Custodial Supplies | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $10,000 | $19,000 | ||
| Equipment | $45,000 | $45,000 | $95,000 | $95,000 | $95,000 | ||
| Fleet Maintenance | $45,000 | $45,000 | $50,000 | $65,000 | $65,000 | ||
| Contractual Allowances | $150,852 | $177,000 | $168,000 | ||||
| Total | $9,800,049 | $10,033,243 | $10,899,632 | $11,324,229 | $11,516,231 |
Tags: fiscal 2022, pittsfield_budget,
