HomeMy WebLinkAboutCover MemoC I p CIVILIAN INVESTIGATIVE PANEL
To:
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From: 1/Uhi1ey E. Richardson, Executive Director
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Date:
The Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Commission
August 28, 2007
Subject: Revised FY 2008 Budget Proposal
Civilian Investigative Panel (CIP)
References:
Enclosures: 2
RECOMMENDATION
It is respectfully requested that the City Commission consider and adopt the attached
revised budget proposal to be presented by the Civilian Investigative Panel at the
September 11, 2007 Commission meeting. The revised budget request has been
submitted to the Chief of Strategic Planning and Budgeting for inclusion in the FY 2008
Budget requests.
BACKGROUND
In April 2006, following careful and responsible deliberation, the CIP voted on and
approved a budget proposal for FY 2008 in the amount of $1,196,156. This
represented a decrease in our previous year's total budget of $1,206,561. Nonetheless,
the Department of Strategic Planning, Budgeting & Performance Management, in light
of expected cuts in the City's tax revenue stream, requested that the CIP present a
budget reflecting a decrease of $86,000. A subsequent request was made that the CIP
present further cuts totaling $200,000. The CIP, in an effort to respond to the requests
of the City, while maintaining an acceptable level of service, submits a revised budget,
approved by the Panel at its August 21st meeting, in the amount of $1,106,561 which
reflects a cut of $100,000 from the FY 2007 budgeted amount. Funds were trimmed
from key service areas, to include community outreach, investigation, and training. The
Panel and staff are committed to delivering quality service to the citizens of Miami and
as such, will work together to obviate any perceivable impact on our operations and
service deliverables as a result of these cuts.
The information as contained in this document is to be considered as an addendum to
the CIP's previous budget submission dated August 8, 2007, which includes our FY
2007 Significant Accomplishments to date, along with our goals and objectives for FY
2008.
DISCUSSION
The following represents a discussion on current conditions and actions of the CIP that
were a part of the deliberations and final decision of the Panel in projecting, preparing
and presenting its revised FY 2008 budget proposal.
The Panel at its August 21, 2007 meeting, voted to freeze the Community Relations
Liaison (CRL) position which has, in spite of two recruitment efforts, been vacant for
approximately ten months. While vacant, the duties and functioning of the CRL position
had to be assumed by other CIP staff and Panel members. The decision to freeze
hiring into the position was a difficult one, as this position requires a significant and
necessary investment in time and resources to the Miami community, working in close
partnerships with community agencies, leaders, the City of Miami administration, its
Police Department and the community at large. Our CRL staff position ensures
continued delivery of information to the community through planning and coordinating of
regular and special panel meetings, hearings, workshops, public appearances, and
presentations; creating and distributing informational brochures, flyers and other
publications; working with other governmental agencies, community and neighborhood
organizations; and in general, creating, implementing and maintaining a public relations
program to identify the needs and demands of the citizens for responsive and
accountable law enforcement with continued and effective civilian oversight.
The CIP, at current staffing level, operates with a staff of seven employees, an in-house
independent counsel and an external private investigator/firm. The Panel proposes for
FY 2008 to hire . two investigators to replace contractual investigators, who are
compensated at market rate of $70 per hour. The staff positions would be funded at
$50,000 per position. This proposed change will cut approximately 50% of the CIP's
cost for investigations. If approved, CIP staff for FY 2008 will increase to nine
members, in addition to the independent counsel. This is in stark comparison to the
twenty-seven (27) member staff of the MPD's Internal Affairs General Investigations
Section, whose cases are reviewed and investigated by the CIP. The CIP is
accomplishing what is tasked to the I.A. General Investigations Section with less than
half the staff.
Another challenge to the operations of the CIP is its current limited office space. The
CIP sought a much needed expansion of its current space, to accommodate not only
existing staff and equipment but also the addition of the two proposed investigators. At
present, the CIP's Chief Investigator operates in a storage space outfitted as an office.
Filing cabinets line the hallways. Additionally, four staff cubicles are contained in a
single oversized office. This office also houses an extensively used copier that
generates a significant amount of heat in addition to the constant flow of employees in
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and out of that work area. Our request for the additional space negotiated at a
favorable rate by the City's Office of Public Facilities was, however, voluntarily pulled by
the CIP from Commission consideration at the Commission meeting of August 1, 2007,
to allow time for the CIP to fully inform the Commission on the severity of the need and
address related concerns.
The CIP maintains its position that the proposed budget as previously submitted is an
accurate reflection of the needs of the office. The members and staff have nonetheless
revisited the original proposal submitted for the 2008 Budget Year, and made cuts as
discussed above and reflected in the document attached hereto. The revised budget
proposal of $1,106,561 is our best effort to meet the demands of the CIP administration
without a significant and debilitating adverse impact on operations and services.
BUDGET REQUEST
The CIP's revised FY 2008 budget request, hereto attached, is $1,106,561. This is
$100,000 lower than the FY 2007 CIP budget.
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