Santa Ana : City Budgets for 30 New Police Officers

A $176-million 1985-86 budget that will put 30 additional police officers on the city’s streets has won preliminary City Council approval.

“These officers will fill an absolute need,” Police Chief Raymond Davis said. “We would like to have more. This is really a bare-bones request.”

City Manager Robert C. Bobb said an ideal increase would see about 60 more officers. “The city should have done this years ago. All we’re doing is playing catch-up, and we’re still not up to the level that I would be satisfied with,” he said. “But we have to deal with the realities of financing.”

Bobb said six of the new officers will be transferred to the city’s highly successful foot patrol program. The patrols, which began last October, are credited with reducing the city’s burglary rate. About 18 officers and three sergeants are now assigned to the patrols, which cover the downtown area 24 hours a day and nine other areas on a rotating 16-hour-a-day basis.

Seven new administrative employees will be hired in the Fire Department, plus one additional paramedic for a total department increase of 6.58%. The Public Services Department will see its budget rise 35.8%. This will include stepping up street sweeping to a weekly service and resurfacing and repair projects for about 38 miles of city streets.

Sales and property taxes, the two major sources of revenue, will also see increases. The sales tax is predicted to rise 8% to $23.8 million, and the property tax will be up 4.3% at $14.6 million.

Also this week, the council put a hold on a planned business inspection program which would double the cost of permits to correct code violations to $300.