Longmont public safety presents staffing gap analysis; department outlines phased build and contingency cuts

City public safety leadership presented a multi‑year staffing analysis at the Sept. 2 study session, describing rising demand and options to rebuild sworn capacity.

Key points: the department compared staffing and workload back to 2009 and reported a 29% increase in priority (urgent) calls for service and population growth of approximately 18% in the same interval. The number of officers assigned to patrol is essentially the same as in 2009 (about 64–65 officers) while on‑scene time per priority call has increased by roughly 69% (staff estimated that rise is equivalent to about four full‑time positions). The department reported a current sworn staffing density of about 1.61 officers per 1,000 residents; national and Colorado averages cited in staff materials ranged higher (FBI 2019 national average ~2.4; Colorado ~2.2). Public safety proposed a phased plan to increase sworn police staffing toward a target of approximately 2.0 officers per 1,000 residents by 2030. That plan would add roughly 40 sworn positions in total (with associated supervisory roles) and would be phased across years with interim “transitional” hires intended to reduce the operational gap caused by turnover. On the fire side, staff proposed raising sworn firefighters to about 1.25 per 1,000 residents (about 27 additional positions), noting that higher staffing could enable a city‑run ambulance service in the future.

The department also listed contingency options if new staffing cannot be funded. Those options — presented as last‑resort savings ideas — include eliminating or scaling back programs and positions that many councilors and staff described as community priorities: a collaborative services chief position, a grant coordinator (which supports externally funded programs), case‑management positions (grant‑funded), one of the core paramedic teams or clinician positions in co‑response teams, a victim advocate, neighborhood resource team staff, some animal control positions and reductions to specialized units such as the canine and SWAT teams. Department leaders emphasized that each of those cuts would reduce services the city currently provides and were not their preferred path.

Why it matters: The analysis ties operational response capacity to recruitment, retention and budget policy. Councilors pressed for steps to stabilize recruitment and reduce turnover; department staff recommended an over‑hire approach and investments in recruiting and non‑sworn personnel for administrative and technology tasks to free sworn officers for response duties.

Next steps: Department will work with finance staff to model phased hiring costs and to provide options that balance revenue and service priorities during the budget process.