CYPRESS : Police Chief Pushes for More Officers

Because of an increasing number of service calls, the Police Department has asked to add four police officers and a dispatcher to the force.

The request, which was recently discussed by the City Council, suggests beefing up the force as early as next year. The force has 53 sworn officers and an additional 50 civilian full- and part-time staff members.

“We haven’t added staff since 1986 . . . the time is here,” said Police Chief Daryl Wicker.

The request was prompted by a steady increase in “any and all” types of crime, he said. Overall, crime is up 2.5% during the first six months of 1992. Two of the biggest increases were reported in residential burglaries and auto thefts.

To keep up with the increasing demand, officers have had to work overtime, some putting in eight to 15 extra hours a week, officials said.

However, Wicker acknowledged, the entire proposal hinges on budget talks that are scheduled to begin in January. Cost for the new officers is estimated at $55,000 a year per officer, which includes salary, fringe benefits and equipment, with the overall package costing more than $250.000.

The Police Department request will be one of many the council will consider during the budget negotiations. A variety of issues, including potential cuts in state funding, could once again affect the city’s ability to finance new programs and staff. Although Cypress has not been hit as hard as other cities by budget problems, it has had to cut back in the last few years. It also instituted a hiring freeze for several months. Finance Director Richard Storey anticipates further slashing. “I would say that there would have to be some kind of cutbacks . . . how much we don’t know,” Storey said.

Councilwoman Joyce C. Nicholson, who requested that the council study police staffing, said the issue will be a major priority during the January budget sessions. She said that the department has been overextended for too long and vowed to find the money for the new officers.

“We are going to correct that as soon as we can,” Nicholson said. “It is going to mean that maybe we do street cleaning every other week or don’t prune trees as much. But we are going to have to make some cuts. The Police Department is one place the residents don’t want it to happen.”