Police Look to Hire, Increase Budget in 2013

The Montclair Police Department wants to bolster its ranks this year and is requesting a 6.6 percent increase to its 2013 budget. 

Montclair Police Chief David Sabagh presented a $13.6 million budget to the council Tuesday, an increase of about $855,000 from 2012. If approved, salaries would increase by about $775,000, in addition to approximately $80,000 for other expenses.  

The net cost of the police department to taxpayers after revenues is $10.1 million. The lion’s share of the budget would go to salaries, which total slightly more than $13 million.

The department is looking to hire two dispatchers, said Sabagh; increase to its overtime budget by 5 percent; purchase three new Dodge Chargers as patrol vehicles; and hire two community policing officers for the Community Police Initiative program, which will be followed by hiring two more officers next year. 

The increase of two dispatchers on the force would bring the department back up to its previous number in 2010, said Sabagh. The chief of police estimated that the additional dispatchers would reduce overtime costs by approximately $15,000, bringing overtime down to about $64,000. 

Increasing community policing this year is a primary goal of the department, which will add foot and bicycle patrols and neighborhood meeting programs. 

Sabagh added that $40,000 would go toward police accreditation in training and proper police operation, among other things. 

The accreditation, said Sabagh, “Ensures us that we are giving the residents the best police service that they can receive. Our practices, our polices, our operations are not only consistent with the attorney general’s guidelines, but above and beyond, and are best practices throughout the state of New Jersey, throughout the country.”

Many new costs are attributed to services the state formally paid for, said Sabagh, such as database fees and time at the shooting range. “There are a few things whose increase is a little bit smaller, but they do add up."