St. Paul Police Dept. could face cuts under new Coleman budget

The St. Paul Police Department likely will have less money to work with when Mayor Chris Coleman unveils his budget proposal next month.

Documents obtained by MPR News show Coleman asked the department to draw up recommendations for nearly $2 million in cuts - far more than the reductions other city departments had to contemplate.

St. Paul's expenses are growing faster than its revenues. As a result it faces a budget deficit almost every year. For next year, the deficit is projected to be nearly $10 million -- less than 2 percent of the city's $500 million budget. That will shrink a bit, thanks to a boost in state aid to local governments.

But Coleman said he's asking his department heads for ways to cut spending, as he has every year since he took office in 2006.

"Imagine having to cut every year for the last eight or nine years, and then say 'we need you to cut more.' It gets very difficult," he said. "And having gone now through this nine years, I have a fairly good sense going into this process of what our options are. And the reality is: there aren't a lot of good ones."

"I have a fairly good sense going into this process of what our options are. And the reality is: there aren't a lot of good ones."

Coleman asked each department to assume a slight reduction in dollars from the city's general fund -- a cut of less than half of one percent. But for the Police Department, he also asked to see what a much larger, 2 percent cut would look like. That would reduce the department's $86 million budget by more than $1.8 million.

In a presentation to the mayor last month, the department officials said they could make the cuts without laying off officers. But they said they would have to eliminate the jobs of a dozen civilian employees and end technological innovations that could save money in the long run.

In an interview following a community meeting last week, Coleman said closing the deficit will mean controlling costs in public safety.

"I mean the fact of the matter is police and fire make up about two-thirds of the budget of the city of St. Paul," he said. "So in the past we've cut a lot out of parks, in particular. We've cut a lot out of various general fund services, while we've added additional resources, including the additional money we put into the crime lab last year for the police department. And so, the fact is: It will impact the department. Our goal is to not have it impact feet on the street."

"What that really means is we're going to have less ability to investigate crimes."

But when the department cuts civilian employees, the burden of doing paperwork just shifts on to sworn officers, said Officer Dave Titus, president of the St. Paul Police Federation.

"It is going to reduce the amount of time that patrol sergeants are on the street, because their clerical type duties will increase, which they have over the last 10 to 15 years already," Titus said. "And now you're going to compound that. What that really means is we're going to have less ability to investigate crimes."

It's not clear how closely the mayor's actual budget proposal will hew to the recommendations he's received. Tonya Tennessen, the mayor's communications director, said he is not trying to single out the department.

However, only the Police Department was asked to look at a potential two-percent budget cut, City Budget Director Scott Cordes said.

Titus finds that troubling.

"The first thing that comes to my mind is that then public safety is not a priority of this mayor's office," he said. "Just because we have the largest budget, doesn't mean we can sustain the largest cut."

There is a sliver of agreement between Titus and Coleman. They both think the city could save money by making the police impound lot more efficient.

But the budget recommendation from the police department warns steep cuts in the number of civilian employees at the lot would make it impossible to cover the operation 24-hours a day, seven days a week.

The Police Department isn't the only department that is having trouble trimming spending.

A memo from Fire Department officials bluntly notes that their budget does not provide the necessary resources to improve service or "provide adequate support to front line crews."

Parks Department officials say even without cuts, they will face increased budget pressure from the new Saints Ballpark, the raise in the state minimum wage, and even the Affordable Care Act, which will force the department to provide health insurance to more part time workers.

None of this surprises City Council President Kathy Lantry. "I think it's going to be a very difficult budget year," Lantry said. "And part of that has to do with pent up demand."

• 2015 Police Mayor Budget Meeting Wednesday, June 18, 2014