When it comes to public safety, citizens demand enough feet on the street to get the job done. For that reason Cincinnati's police and fire departments haven't been part of the slashing at most every other city department year after year.
Now there's a call for a change.
"People can't afford to do business as we've done in the past,” says Cincinnati Council Member Roxanne Qualls. “Money is too precious."
Qualls isn’t alone. Council Member Greg Harris says, “Good policy means you don't allow any agency to escape scrutiny and accountability."
Harris and Qualls say the public safety budget - police and fire - eats up 67% of the general fund. Because it’s been politically unpopular to cut those departments, almost all budget cuts this decade have come from just 33% of the budget. Harris and Qualls say there’s no more fat left at the other city departments.
Fire and Police are the only departments that don't have to submit cost-based accounting, tying what they spend to results. And while all city agencies have one human resources department which all use, the police department has its own. Qualls and Harris say those represent potential aread for administrative cutbacks.
Qualls says "The question really hasn't been pressed. 'Are you using this money in terms of your administration of very essential services in the most efficient manner possible?'"
Just in May, Cincinnati Police rejected cuts in a memo the I-Team obtained, saying they'd lead to fewer officers on the street. But pressed last week the police department came up with almost $1 million in cuts. The Fire Department came up with $1.2 million in cuts.
Qualls and harris say it's a beginning. They want as much as $8 million - or 5% of the safety budget - by next year or sooner.
"We really have to have an all-hands-on-deck approach to solving this crisis," Harris says.
Qualls adds, "We've run out of all of our other options at this point."
The police and fire departments and unions are sure to weigh in during the coming months.
