MOUNT VERNON — Mount Vernon Police Chief Mike Merrilees presented an overview of the Mount Vernon Police Department during City Council committee meetings Monday night.
Working with a budget of just over $2.6 million, the MVPD consists of one chief, one captain, five sergeants, four corporals, 18 patrol officers, three unpaid auxiliary officers, two administrative assistants and one records clerk, Merrilees said.
There are five patrol officers out on the street during each shift, he explained. Officers are only called in for overtime purposes when the number of street personnel drops below three.
“Between hours of 8 p.m. and 4 a.m., if manpower allows, a patrolman is pulled from cruiser duty to work the street — the downtown area — on foot,” Merrilees said.
However, if that patrolman is needed elsewhere, he or she will be reassigned to other parts of the city.
As far as his payroll budget, Merrilees said the funds spent on overtime have decreased 20 percent this year.
“I believe part of this is from less sick time. ... Sick time has dropped by approximately 25 percent so far this year,” he said to council.
In a written statement, Merrilees credited some of the overtime decrease to more efficient operations within the department.
From Jan. 1 to Aug. 31, Merrilees reported 2,186 arrests or traffic citations were issued; 2,158 offense reports were written; 748 accident reports were taken and 311 juvenile charges were filed through the MVPD.
samantha.scoles@mountvernonnews.com
