Adopt Ordinance Amending Police Department Staffing Effective October 1, 2017, to Increase the Total Number of Authorized Civil Service Positions in Specified Classifications by Twenty-Four to Reflect Changes Included in the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget and Adopt Ordinance Prescribing Salaries for the Police Department (ALL COUNCIL DISTRICTS)

It is recommended that the City Council:

1.  Adopt the attached ordinance to reflect Civil Service staffing in the Police Department included in the Fiscal Year 2018 Budget, which increases the number of authorized positions in the classification of Corporal/Detective by ten, increases the number of authorized positions in the classification of Sergeant by eleven, increases the number of authorized positions in the classification of Lieutenant by two and increases the number of authorized positions in the classification of Captain by one, thereby increasing the total authorized Civil Service positions from 1,700 to a total of 1,724, effective October 1, 2017; and effective until superseded by future ordinances; and

2.  Adopt the attached ordinance prescribing the salaries for all peace officers in the Police Department effective October 1, 2017.

The purpose of this Mayor and Council Communication (M&C) and the attached ordinances is to take actions to effect the recently adopted Fiscal Year 2018 Budget for the Police Department.  Adoption of the first attached ordinance will revise Civil Service Staffing in the Police Department to reflect Civil Service Staffing included in the City's adopted Fiscal Year 2018 Budget.  The adopted budget includes funding for the addition of twenty-four Civil Service budgeted positions in the Police Department.  In addition, the adopted budget includes funding to make five overage Officer positions permanent.

Twenty-Seven positions are intended to fulfill the third phase of a three-year improvement plan for staffing the Police Department's Sixth Patrol Division, which was approved with the Adopted Fiscal Year 2016 Budget.  This phase includes three Officers, ten Corporal/Detective eleven Sergeants, two Lieutenants and one Captain.  In addition two Officers are added as School Resource Officers for Northwest ISD.

Of the 29 positions outlined above, only 24 will add to the authorized strength due to existing overages at the Officer rank.  On August 1 and 29, 2017, the City Council adopted Staffing Ordinances for the Police Department (Ordinance Nos. 22813-08-2017 and 22856-08-2017) to temporarily increase the authorized positions at the Officer rank in order to accommodate graduating Fort Worth Police Recruit Classes.  These increases, or overages were necessary due to accelerated training associated with staffing up the sixth patrol, lower-than-projected attrition and delays in promotions at higher ranks that resulted in too few vacancies at the Officer rank to accommodate the graduates.  Class 144 will graduate in December, and it is anticipated that some additional temporary positions will be added at that time; however, the need will begin to drop as promotions happen in December and beyond.  A revised staffing ordinance will be presented in the spring to restore the intended authorized strength noted in the table below.

Approval of the attached ordinance would result in new authorized civil service staffing levels to be effective October 1, 2017, as follows:
  

NOTE - The position changes at issue in this M&C and ordinance do not in any way affect the civil service positions that were added with the receipt of the COPS Hiring Grant (M&C C-27135).

Adoption of the second attached ordinance would prescribe the salaries for each classification of peace officer in the Police Department in accordance with state law and the adopted labor agreement.

This M&C does not request approval of a contract with a business entity.