Tuscaloosa Police Department Facing Staffing Shortage As City Mulls Budget

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa Police Department informed city officials on Tuesday that it is facing unprecedented staffing levels and operating with a 10% shortage of sworn officers.

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TPD Assistant Chief Steve Rice spoke with the Tuscaloosa City Council on Tuesday as leaders consider the details of budget for the coming fiscal year — a budget that places a specific emphasis on investing in public safety.

According to the proposed General Fund Budget for fiscal year 2023, TPD would receive a $2.5 million increase, mostly to cover salaries, rising fuel costs and vehicle maintenance. This doesn't factor in the proposed $1.28 million budgeted for new equipment for the police department.

Here's a look at the proposed FY 23 General Fund Budget allocations for the Tuscaloosa Police Department:

Rice, however, said on Tuesday that staffing and navigating the current labor market have both proven to be primary challenges when it comes to keeping enough officers on the force.

In the past, Rice explained, TPD would always try to have around 290 sworn officers at any given time. At present, TPD is about 28 officers short of meeting that total.

"That creates strain on our manpower out there," Rice said. "Right now, you're paying overtime, we're paying overtime. We're putting these officers in a bad spot where they have to work X amount of hours a week. Some of them [do work overtime], most of them don't. So you're putting that strain on those officers that they're working a lot, which makes it more difficult for them."

District 6 Councilor John Faile, a retired Tuscaloosa Police officer, then asked the question of what the impact would be if the city opted simply not to fill certain positions in order to maximize cost savings on salaries if the department is already having a difficult time filling them.

"We're just trying to find a few dollars here and there and if we temporarily, in my mind, one year didn't fund y'all 10 [positions] or whatever for one year and used it somewhere else," he said.

Rice responded by saying he worried of the optics for those currently employed by TPD. He also spoke to the benefits for recruitment and retention the eventual move to the Retirement Systems of Alabama will mean for the department.

"I think it sends a bad message," Rice said. "Honestly, I think it tells not only the citizens that you don't care for public safety, but on the other end, I think the guys out there answering calls, working their rear ends off, it sends a bad message."

City of Tuscaloosa Chief Financial Officer Carly Standridge addressed the budget salaries for unfilled positions, which she explained transfers over every year to become surplus funding.

"That amount rolls into your surplus," she said. "That then gets to be moved over to create the capital projects. I'm not saying that it happens instantaneously ... because what you're saying is cutting the positions immediately now to be able to free up immediate budget dollars. However, at the end of the fiscal year, if there is salary savings, that does create the surplus, that is exactly what the surplus really is."

District 4 Councilor Lee Busby, who chairs the Council's Finance Committee, expounded on Faile's question to ask Rice about budgeted salaries for unfilled positions.

"I think the question is aimed at, is there a need to fund more than we can hire?" Busby asked. "That's the question because we put $33 million, $32.5 million in the salaries and benefits on the police force. And then we add another $3.4 million in overtime. ... The big 50,000-foot level where we belong is to [ask] 'what's necessary to fund the right size force?' and if we're providing the funding, is it getting done?"

Rice insisted every measure was being considered to "put butts in police cars" and fill positions, going on to say any potential staff cuts would only serve to undermine morale and efforts to improve the recruitment and retention that would address the problems at present.

"That's what I'm asking my recruiter, how are we gonna do this?" Rice said. "Whether it's sign-on bonuses, whether it's referrals or whatever. I would love to use some of that salary savings along those aspects versus cutting positions. I think that would be a better way to use that salary savings money that's already in there is to get people to apply with us and stay with us."

Rice went on to say he has been working closely with the city's Director of Communications Richard Rush and his team to formulate strategies and tweak the approach to recruitment in order to maximize outcomes.

"We've extended our [recruitment] message out to Mississippi, Georgia and Tennessee," he said. "And this last time, we've got somebody from Nashville who applied. A couple people from Mississippi applied. So pushing that message out from the small radius of Tuscaloosa has helped bring more people in. ... Every month we're meeting on how to redirect this program."

There was no action taken by the Council at the conclusion of Tuesday's meeting and Rice spoke briefly to investments in new body cameras and other technology before thanking city leaders for their continued support.

"Our primary concern is to get the best equipment and the best training in these officer's hands to do the best job possible," he said.

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