Charlotte Observer----
Police Chief Rodney Monroe is asking the Federal government for money to hire 150 more patrol officers in Charlotte-Mecklenburg, he said in a town hall meeting Thursday night.
More than 100 people showed up for the meeting at the Government Center, where Monroe spoke of new and expanded initiatives at the start of his second year – everything from increased electronic monitoring to community prosecutors, an idea he hopes to import from his years as chief in Richmond, Va.
Mayor Pro Tem Susan Burgess, a Democrat, said if the Federal government didn't provide money to hire more officers, she and other City Council members were open to amending the city's budget to do so. She said the city had already paid for some equipment to outfit additional officers.
Increasing the number of officers on Charlotte streets has been Monroe's primary focus since he took the job here. While the total number of officers hasn't increased significantly, Monroe said he has placed more police where he believes they can do the most good.
“Every single (patrol) officer that we have in this department is now in your neighborhood,” he said. “We have no one in the academy. We have no vacancies.”
Monroe said he's been calling the U.S. Department of Justice “every two weeks” trying to lobby for additional officers.
The Federal Stimulus grant provides up to $1 billion to hire officers across the country. It pays for entry-level salaries and benefits for newly hired officers for up to three years, according to a Justice Department factsheet.
Monroe told Thursday night's audience that he wasn't confident that the federal government would give him money for all 150 officers.
The department has already received a $3.5 million federal grant, and Monroe announced Thursday how that money would be spent:
Overtime: Monroe wants to spend $1.5 million in federal money on overtime. It comes as Monroe has faced criticism for overshooting his budget – specifically for overtime – at a time when other departments are cutting back. Charlotte-Mecklenburg police overspent their overtime budget by more than $680,000.
Community prosecution: The community prosecution programs would be similar to ones Monroe helped institute in Richmond, Va., where he was formerly chief. A prosecutor in the district attorney's office would be responsible for prosecuting crimes that happen in specific police divisions. Monroe wants three divisions to serve as pilots for the program, but he said the department hasn't decided which ones.
“That prosecutor will work with you and the police department to address crime issues daily,” Monroe told the crowd. “I think (the district attorney and I have) come to an agreement where we both realized … that this is worth taking a look at.”
Computerized files: Monroe said Mecklenburg planned to use $750,000 to digitize case files in the district attorney's office. The computer system would streamline operations for prosecutors, Monroe said, and “it gives me the ability to put my officers back on the street much faster.”
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Sources: Charlotte Observer, Whitehouse.gov, Recovery.gov, USdoj.gov, Cedar Posts & Barbed Wire Fences, Wikipedia, Google Maps
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