Bloomington City Council members raised several concerns with Mayor John Hamilton’s proposed 2022 budget for the Bloomington Police Department Tuesday night. Critics said BPD is underpaid, understaffed, and overworked, and the budget doesn’t do enough to address those issues.
Police chief Mike Diekhoff said the department is authorized for 105 sworn officers and employs 93. A handful of them are either in training or on leave, meaning only 76 are available to work.
Mayor Hamilton proposed a 9 percent increase in BPD’s budget, bringing it to $20.1 million. This increase funds five new sworn officers and five non-sworn personnel, including four community service specialists.
Some council members said the proposal doesn’t reflect the need for sworn officers or higher pay.
“What we are lacking are sworn officers,” said councilmember Dave Rollo. “We are not lacking community service specialists with limited roles and limited hours.”
BPD officer Gabriela Esquivel says the city has between five and nine officers available on a good day.
“Officers are sacrificing sleep, family time, and mental health to keep up with their training, working their shifts and picking up tons of overtime to staff the city safely,” she said.
A police officer shortage is not unique to Bloomington. Problems with the pay level may be.
Rollo said Bloomington is the seventh largest city in Indiana and officer pay ranks 68th. In the last five years BPD hired 66 officers but 67 left.
“We’ve lost and stand to lose more experienced officers,” Rollo said. “I worry that as officers are only human, and humans make mistakes under duress, mental and emotional stress, lack of rest, lack of experience, that we are setting ourselves up for a tragic outcome.”
Rollo recommended a $5,000 base-pay raise for BPD officers. For this to happen, the Fraternal Order of Police and City of Bloomington Administration would have to agree to renegotiate one year early.
The mayor’s proposal calls for a 2.9 percent increase for officers, which was negotiated in the contract that expires next year.
Councilmember Susan Sandberg went so far as to say BPD is not only a sinking ship, but it is on fire.
“We care about the public safety in this community, and we in Bloomington expect the best - the best, and that’s going to require an investment,” Sandberg said.
The council voted 0-4 on the proposed BPD budget, with five members abstaining.
Councilmembers Rollo, Sandberg, Ron Smith, and Steve Volan voted against the budget. Councilmembers Sue Sgambelluri, Jim Sims, Matt Flaherty, Kate Rosenbarger and Isabel Piedmont-Smith abstained.
The council approved three other department budgets.
Bloomington Fire Department
Mayor Hamilton proposed a 5 percent increase in Bloomington Fire Department’s budget, bringing the total cost to $12.9 million.
Fire chief Jason Moore said the department’s budget includes four new positions:
Part-time Administrative Assistant
Assistant Chief of Administration & Planning
Two Community Care Coordinators
The fire department is earmarked to receive $375,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
Bloomington Transit’s proposed budget for 2022 increased 4.2 percent and costs $15,114,394.
BT general manager Lew May said more than $8.5 million is federally funded, including:
$3,501,777 from federal 5339 grant
$2,410,001 in CARES Act funding
$2,197,710 from the American Rescue Plan Act
The budget includes implementation of the 2019 Route Optimization Study, formation of a road supervisor position, as well as the replacement of four buses with battery electric options.
Additionally, BT is budgeting $50,000 for enhanced security at its Grimes Lane facility.
City of Bloomington Utilities
The proposed 2022 budget for utilities is a 2.3 percent increase from 2021 and costs $44,549,203.
