But he added, “It is not the best solution as it contributes to employee stress, illness, injury and burnout.”Īmid reports of an increase in people killed by D.C. “These demands have required MPD officers to work more than 1.1 million overtime hours in each of the past two years - this is more than the annual totals for at least the past decade and the equivalent of more than 550 additional officers each year,” said Contee.Ĭontee said the use of overtime is a necessary tool for a public safety agency, and some overtime is inevitable. The staffing shortage is also requiring an exorbitant amount of overtime, the chief said. “With the commitment to fund ongoing retention and recruitment strategies, we project that we would reach 3,800 officers in 2028 and 4,000 officers in 2031,” said Contee. If the council fully funded Bowser’s budget this year, the department says, MPD would have a net gain of 36 officers at the end of September 2023. Since the retirement bubble started in 2014, the department is down more than 450 officers.”Ĭontee said the goal is to bring the department up to 4,000 officers while maintaining strong hiring practices “that result in the best officer candidates,” but acknowledges “returning the department to a stable and appropriate staffing level will not be a quick process.” “Since the end of FY 20, just 18 months ago, MPD has had a net loss of 280 officers. “We are currently at the lowest staffing level in the past two decades,” said Contee. Police use DOJ funding to hire 25 more officers in 2022 Mayor Muriel Bowser’s proposed budget for the 2023 fiscal year includes $30 million to recruit and retain officers, and she wants the force increased to 4,000 sworn officers. “And, if you have committed a violent crime, 90 additional seconds to get away probably sounds pretty good.”ĭ.C.
“Ninety seconds may not seem like a long time if you were watching a hearing, but if you’re the victim of a violent crime waiting for police to arrive, that can seem like an eternity,” Contee said. Council’s Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, police Chief Robert Contee said ongoing staffing shortages - the department is at its lowest levels in two decades - are dramatically hampering the time in which an officer can reach a person calling for help.īased on information from the Office of Unified Communications, which runs the 911 center, the response time to “Priority 1 calls,” which are the most serious incidents, increased by almost 90 seconds in 2021, Contee told committee chair Charles Allen, who represents Ward 6. In a budget oversight hearing of the D.C. Business & Finance Click to expand menu.ĭ.C.’s police chief says District residents are feeling the effects of staffing shortages in his department, including waiting for officers to arrive during emergencies.
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