DUNWOODY, Ga. — A proposal to add more positions to the police ranks drew pushback from the Dunwoody City Council Feb. 12.
While no vote was taken on the request, Chief Billy Grogan asked to add a new sergeant and three investigators to form a Street Crimes Unit, which will primarily conduct narcotics and vice operations. Funding of the positions would begin July 1.
Grogan pointed to recent busts across the city as a reason to fund a specialized unit, focused on drug and sex trafficking investigations.
Consulting firm BerryDunn presented a study of the Dunwoody Police Department Oct. 30 and supported the plan to create a Street Crimes Unit. However, the BarryDunn report listed the additional unit as a non-urgent recommendation.
The report’s principal recommendations to the Police Department included adding three patrol officers, hiring non-sworn field personnel, and revising recruitment and retention practices.
Grogan said current Dunwoody officers will most likely fill the positions in the Street Crimes Unit, and several officers have expressed interest in the additional training required for the unit.
“It’s also something that would, I believe, help us in the long run with our recruitment efforts,” Grogan said. “More importantly, it’s something that meets a need of our department right now and of our community.”
He also requested the addition of a fleet maintenance coordinator, a non-sworn civilian tasked with administrative duties for the maintenance of vehicles and equipment.
Funding of the fleet manager position would begin April 1.
Including one-time expenses, the anticipated cost for additional police personnel for fiscal year 2024 is $616,565. In fiscal year 2025, the cost jumps to $672,900.
Council discusses request
City Councilman Rob Price asked about the number of vacancies within the Dunwoody Police Department.
“It’s been a challenge, no doubt, we’re just like a lot of agencies around us and across the country.” Grogan said. “Staffing is an issue… we got down to three openings not too long ago, and now we’re at six.”
Grogan said there are four sworn candidates and two non-sworn candidates in the hiring process with the Police Department. He did not provide a timetable for when the six vacancies will be filled.
Councilman John Heneghan asked Grogan if he accepts the final recommendations of the more than $100,000 BarryDunn report.
“I didn’t necessarily agree with everything in the report,” Grogan said. “But I did certainly accept it.”
Heneghan said there were several discrepancies between the recommendations from the BarryDunn report and the requests from Grogan.
While the report called for the Street Crimes Unit to be composed of two investigators and one sergeant, Grogan requested three investigators for the unit.
Also, Heneghan asked why Grogan is requesting additional personnel for a non-urgent recommendation rather than an urgent recommendation.
“Why aren’t we honoring that report and doing the critical things first?” Heneghan asked.
Grogan said the BarryDunn consultants are not located in Dunwoody, and they only studied a 2021 snapshot of the department.
“My ask is coming from the experience that we’ve had dealing with these types of issues,” Grogan said. “We have nobody assigned to work these drug cases right now, and that’s why I look it as a higher priority than maybe BarryDunn does.”
Councilman Joe Seconder asked for a roadmap for the implementation of the BarryDunn recommendations.
Seconder said his focus is on the prioritization and funding source of the recommendations.
“I’d rather fix our long-term because this is just a two-year Band-Aid,” Seconder said. “This is a short-term fix, so if we want to have this systemically, then I’d like to make the tough decisions now.”
Mayor Lynn Deutsch interrupted Seconder and said the funding is for two years, but that does not mean the positions end in two years.
Seconder said he wants to fix the long-term funding of the additional positions before approving the request.
“No, we’re not going to do that,” Deutsch responded.
Finance Director Richard Platto discusses a proposed budget amendment for additional police personnel and emergency medical services funding during the Feb. 12 Dunwoody City Council meeting. Platto said $1,889,465 in funds from the American Rescue Plan Act will go toward both items.
Amending the 2024 budget
Finance Director Richard Platto presented a proposed budget amendment for additional police personnel and emergency services funding.
To fund five additional police personnel and recoup emergency medical services funding, the city plans to use $1.9 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds.
The American Rescue Plan Act, an economic stimulus bill designed to speed up the country’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, was signed into law on March 11, 2021.
Dunwoody was allotted $18.4 million in ARPA funding.
In April 2022, the city set aside $10 million of its allotment as revenue replacement. The creation of the ARPA II Fund removes federal requirements and time frames for spending.
When the ARPA II budget was created, the city planned for $600,000 to provide three years of funding for emergency medical services.
Because the city awarded a $566,684 contract with DeKalb County and American Medical Response Oct. 30 for additional ambulance services for one year, a part of the budget amendment reallocates another $600,000 for an additional year of funding.
The proposed budget amendment also calls for the transfer of $1 million from the ARPA II Fund to the General Fund, which pays for additional police personnel through fiscal year 2025. Another transfer of $253,880 from the ARPA II Fund to the Capital Projects Fund is needed for vehicles related to the Street Crimes Unit.
As a result, $889,465 in contingency and $1 million for a Social Services Incubator from the ARPA II Fund will go toward additional police personnel and emergency medical services funding.
Mayor Deutsch said the need for a Social Services Incubator has dissipated since the idea was proposed during the pandemic.
She also said legislation in the General Assembly may provide relief for increasing costs related to emergency medical services.
“The needs of public safety are greater,” Deutsch said. “This ambulance thing, for heaven’s sake, is so expensive.”
