It would be interesting to see how efficiently structured the police department is. If they are as administratively bloated as other parts of the city's agencies seem to be, I'd think you could slice 5% out of the budget (and probably more) through staff cuts and still be able to put more police on the streets.

cuts in the police force? how much lower could police presence be? i don't spot a JCPD car even once a day since i've moved here.

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You don't seem to understand how abatements work. The city gets more money. Its the county and the schools that get shafted. But you know, keep talking about stuff you don't know anything about.

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Healy tells the public half truths. Even if we accepted his figure of 200 cops hired during his tenure consider this.There were 798 cops (not 788) in 2004. Healy takes office and according to his figures 200 are hired (See latest Healy mailer) which should come to a total of 998. Todays Jersey reports total of 893 cops. Starting with the final figure of 893 (2009 total) minus 788 (2004 figure) means a difference of 105 more than 2004. This is where the Healy math begins the half truths. Healy promoted approximately 75 Sergeants and 40 Detectives during the same period of time which impacts directly on the available patrol force by 115 cops to the negative side leaving a net decrease in patrol personnel of 10 cops.

Healy also promised to increase the patrol presence by 15%. Has anyone noticed that increase. Now, Council president Vega announces there will be 5% cut in personnel. I don't know if its just me or is Healys math a little fuzzy or is it disingenuous. There is no way to make Healys figures hash out and I can only conclude that he is full of baloney.

maybe they shouldn't have doled out so many tax abatements. no there will be no cops to protect the freeloaders.

The police story is going to be a major issue in the upcoming
election. What the public has to learn, hopefully with a full investigation by the press, is exactly the number of police Jersey City has at this moment in time. Healy said tonight on City Channel One that when he came into office we had 788 police officers and today we have 895. Recent reports heard are that during Healy's tenure as many as 150 police officers have tested positive for steroids and/or other substances. Are they off street duty? Some off and some back on? Of 895 officers not all do patrol duty. Eliminate the brass, those on limited duty or suspension and the numbers dramatically shift as to the number on patrol. Mr. Vega said we are coming into hard economic times. Really?
If you hear Healy's ads all is well in the kingdom yadayada.
The city is building tower upon tower, thousands more people to protect etc. This story needs to be fleshed out and soon.

the cops at the PATH are Port Authority (at least @Journal Sq) not sure where they fit into the JC Budget

A 5% cut should be that hard to achieve - just reduce OT. Also I think they get rid of all those offcers checking bags at the PATH stations in the morning. Great PR but a waste of money.

Wow a broken promise already! At the City Wide Public Rally on March 3rd Healy said to promise to increase police on the street.

The number one concern must be public safety, when our Mayor jeopardizes that he has got to go.

CITY HALL PLANS FOR CUTS AT JCPD
5% trim might mean no new cops for year
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
By AMY SARA CLARK
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The president of the Jersey City City Council might have bad news for community groups clamoring for more cops on the streets.

City Council President Mariano Vega Jr. asked police brass to plan for a 5 percent cut in their 2009-10 department budget at a Feb. 26 public hearing.

"I'm predicting next year's economic conditions are going to be bad. If that's going to happen we should look at what we can do," Vega said during a follow-up interview.

The recession is likely to lead to a drop in Urban Enterprise Zone, hotel and parking tax revenues, he added.

Vega said he plans to make the same request of all city departments.

Although he agreed that reducing crime is a major priority, Vega said the only way to significantly reduce spending is to cut personnel.

"The rubber hits the road with the Police and Fire departments," he said. "That's where all the money is at."

Roughly 75 percent of the money the city spends on its employees it spends on police and fire personnel, officials have said.

At the hearing, Police Director Samuel Jefferson said the cuts could be made up by government grants.

"But in the worst-case scenario, it would be two cycles (or one year) of not hiring a Jersey City cop," Jefferson said.

In a statement, Jersey City Mayor Jerramiah T. Healy called the suggestion to reduce municipal spending by 5 percent "a valid one."

But he added: "We will never reduce funding for public safety. We will continue to maintain the same, or greater, level of service in the Police and Fire departments to protect the lives and well-being of our residents."

Earlier this month, city officials learned they would receive a $1.83 million grant from the federal stimulus package through the Department of Justice - money that would be used "to maintain the current level of service of public safety," Healy said.

In 2008, the police budget was $91 million, or 19 percent of the city's overall $475.7 million budget. The proposed 2009-2010 Police Department budget is $101.5 million, or 22 percent of the $460.2 million proposed total budget.

There are currently 893 police officers in Jersey City, according to city records; that's roughly 100 more than when Healy took office in November 2004.