Shorewood Police Could Cut an Officer to Balance Budget Next Year

The Shorewood Police Department will likely have to cut an officer in its 2012 budget, Chief David Banaszynski announced Tuesday.

Like the heads of other village departments, Banaszynski is grappling with the zero percent budget increase required by the village in light of the state-mandated two-year tax levy freeze.

“As police chief it puts me into a bit of a predicament,” Banaszynski said.

With operating costs increasing, from salaries and benefits, to fuel and supplies, Banaszynski said he is left with about a $72,000 shortfall, holding services steady with small cost-saving measures.

Banaszynski laid out a few possible places to cut spending, including eliminating a detective or removing the school liaison — both options he said he wanted to avoid at all costs.  

Banaszynski said Tuesday he was leaning most toward eliminating the deputy chief position, demoting Terry Zimmerman and to an open officer position, thus keeping 25 officers on patrol.

Banaszynski said he kept the position open when an officer left this year because he anticipated the possibility of a budget freeze.

“You’ll see little change on the street,” Banaszynski said. “And that’s my promise to the village.”

Some commission members said they should ask the village to allocate more money to the department. Because of the tax levy freeze, that would mean taking it from other departments — something Trustee Thad Nation said would be an uphill battle.

“Everybody’s getting zero percent. We’re going to have shortfalls in every department,” Nation said. “It’s public safety, I understand this. But every public service is a service that the public will expect to continue.”

Banaszynski said he would not be asking the village for more funding, but doing everything he can to find ways to save money — including cutting his own job.

Banaszynski has been talking to Whitefish Bay Police Chief Robert Jacobs about combining their police departments, possibly eliminating a chief position, as well as supervisor positions. He said the consolidation would save about $.5 million in staff and equipment costs.

"I’m talking about losing my job,” Banaszynski said. “I’m willing to do anything that would keep my 25^th officer.”

Banaszynski said talks with Whitefish Bay have stalled because Whitefish Bay officials are worried about losing local control over their police department.

But Banaszynski said .

“If we continue this zero percent for two years, we’re going to continue to lose officers,” he said.

Banaszynski said he will propose an itemized budget for the police department to the village budget committee in September.