Federal Grant Money for Cops May Not Be Such A Good Idea

On July 28, 2009, the City of Tulsa learned that its application for federal grant money to hire police officers had been approved. The City was awarded $3.5 million in federal grant money, to hire 18 more police officers. The City Council will have to decide whether to accept that grant money or not.

On the surface, it sounds like a great idea. I’ve been trying to add more police officers to our department since I was first elected to the City Council. This would seem to be a way to do that.

But, it may not be such a great idea. The federal grant program would create obligations that the City cannot afford.

The grant money could only be used to pay the officers’ salaries for three years. Under the terms of the grant, the City would be obligated to keep those officers on the payroll and pay them for the fourth year. But, there’s more to it than that.

The grant money cannot be used to pay for their academy. The city would have to pay for that.

The grant money cannot be used to pay for their equipment, such as their police cars, their uniforms, and their weapons. The city would have to pay for that.

In this year’s budget, there is an academy for 20 officers that is scheduled for next spring. But, it’s tentative. The Mayor informed everyone that, if the economy doesn’t come back, we may have to cancel that academy.

If the City can’t afford to pay for the academy that is presently scheduled, we sure can’t afford to pay for an extra academy.

There is no capital money in the budget to buy additional police cars or weapons this year. If we accept the federal grant, we wouldn’t be able to equip the new officers.

City budget numbers indicate that the additional fourth year of this program would cost about $1.25 million. We would have to pay those salaries if we accept the grant money. But, looking beyond that fourth year, the future mayor and city councilors would be faced with either finding the money in the budget to keep those officers on the payroll or would have to fire them. And, that $1.25 million figure for their salaries for their fourth year would increase as those 18 officers gain seniority and move up the pay scale.

Right now, the City of Tulsa can’t afford to pay the full salaries of the officers we have. The Mayor convinced the members of the FOP to accept 8 furlough days this year, rather than face layoffs.

If we accept the grant money, we’d be gambling that, four years from now, the City would have the money to keep those officers on the police force.

The citizens of District 2 didn’t hire me to gamble with their money. They hired me to be fiscally responsible.

So, it sounds like a great idea until you look at the financial obligations which accepting the grant would create and compare that to our ability to pay for them.

Here are the realities:

We don’t have the money for their academy.

We don’t have the money for their cars, weapons, and uniforms.

We may not have the money to pay their fourth year.

We may not have the money to pay their salaries after the fourth year.

A few weeks ago, the Mayor's staff presented this grant application to the Council. The Mayor sent word to us that she intended to apply for it. Several of us sent word back that we had concerns about some of the financial obligations that would accompany the grant. We explained that we didn't think it was a good idea to apply for the grant.

This is difficult. How can we say "no" to federal money to help pay for cops? No one wants to hire additional police officers more than I do. But, it has to be done in a fiscally responsible way. I just don’t think this is it. The grant creates too many obligations that we just don't have the money for.