Report 2016-111 Recommendation 12 Responses
Report 2016-111: City of Irwindale: It Must Exercise More Fiscal Responsibility Over Its Spending So That It Can Continue to Provide Core Services to Residents (Release Date: November 2016)
Recommendation #12 To: Irwindale, City of
While the city is considering recommendation #11, and if it should choose not to contract for police services, it should ensure that its police department is adequately staffed by performing a staffing analysis that includes a determination of the costs and benefits of officer overtime versus hiring additional officers.
Annual Follow-Up Agency Response From October 2018
A cost analysis performed in the past resulted in a 19% hourly cost savings by scheduling overtime in lieu of hiring an additional officer, which would required full benefits and increasing pension costs. Additionally, as part of the recent labor negotiations, overtime reductions were not accepted by the Irwindale Police Officers Association. The City has however, fully filled all its vacancies and realized a substantial reduction of its officers out on disability which previously created the significant overtime impacts, thereby reducing the overall overtime currently needed.
- Completion Date: July 2018
California State Auditor's Assessment of Annual Follow-Up Status: Resolved
1-Year Agency Response
A cost analysis performed during the past fiscal year resulted in a 19% hourly cost savings by scheduling overtime in lieu of hiring an additional officer.
As a result of the recent adoption of the Classification and Compensation Study, salaries for Police Officers were adjusted. Therefore, the City will review this cost analysis once again with the updated salaries before the end of this fiscal year.
- Estimated Completion Date: 06/30/2018
- Response Date: November 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 1-Year Status: Pending
6-Month Agency Response
A cost analysis performed during the past fiscal year resulted in a 19% hourly cost savings by scheduling overtime in lieu of hiring an additional officer.
Finance can perform another cost analysis before June 30th to re-confirm these findings, and we are happy to submit this to the State well in advance of our 1 year response due 11/29/2017.
Please advise if this is something we can submit on-line, outside of the pre-establish deadlines.
- Estimated Completion Date: 6/30/2017
- Response Date: May 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 6-Month Status: Pending
The city did not provide a copy of its cost analysis and its response does not address the adequacy of staffing levels in its police department.
60-Day Agency Response
The City has calculated the cost of overtime versus hiring additional officers. It was determined overtime costs approximately 19% less than the cost of an additional full-time officer. The City is agreeable to preparing an updated analysis of this cost comparison.
- Estimated Completion Date: 6/30/2017
- Response Date: January 2017
California State Auditor's Assessment of 60-Day Status: Pending
All Recommendations in 2016-111
Agency responses received are posted verbatim.