URBANA — City leaders are split on whether to include funds for increased police staffing in the budget for Fiscal Year 2025, including the addition of two non-sworn community responders and one social worker. Urbana police Chief Larry Boone told the city council that the department’s current model “simply does not afford us operational flexibility.” “When there’s an increase in crime, we’re at the mercy of said criminals,” he said.
“We don’t have the wherewithal to strategically address it as it is happening.” Police department officials presented proposed staffing increases as part of last week’s budget discussions, which started Monday night and continued into the wee hours of Tuesday after the council voted to take a recess due to the late hour. Boone said he is requesting the following new positions, which are currently included in the city’s proposed budget for Fiscal Year 2025: Deputy Chief Rich Surles clarified they would plan to fill the deputy chief and training sergeant positions by promoting existing staff; they would then look to hire two additional sworn officers to fill the vacancies left by these promotions.
They would also look to fill the community engagement positions with experienced local officers. The proposed budget includes the following expenses related to these positions: Surles said that findings from BerryDunn, which is conducting a review of the city’s public services, and analyses conducted by Boone before and after hi.