Proposal seeks to set minimum size for Rochester police force

Sep. 14—ROCHESTER — A proposal to establish a minimum size for Rochester's police force was put on hold Tuesday.

Rochester Charter Commission member Ben Harris suggested establishing a guideline for how many police officers are needed in the city.

"I think we could implement some type of minimum there, not only to help preserve the police department, but as the city grows, it ensures we have a growing police department to match the amount of residents," he said, pointing to the Minneapolis city charter as an example that includes such guidelines.

A city's charter guides many aspects of city government, and in Minneapolis' case, it calls for the city to have at least 1.7 police officers per 1,000 residents.

The same requirement in Rochester would call for 204 officers, which is more than the 150 currently authorized.

Harris said he doesn't anticipate that Rochester would require the same ratio.

"We could find our own number that best suits our city," he said.

Commission member Randy Staver, who served 10 years on the Rochester City Council, said he'd hesitate setting such a number.

"I know oftentimes it's budget driven, but I can't remember the last time the (police) chief asked for more staff and was denied," he said.

Commission member Nancy Zaworski, who is a Rochester resident but finance director for the city of Kasson, said the number would be difficult to set without a variety of input.

"Depending on who you talk to, you'll get different responses," she said, pointing to police staffing discussions in Kasson. .

Commission member Bari Amadio said recruitment challenges could also be an issue, if the number of required officers is greater than the qualified pool of potential recruits.

Police departments throughout the country have cited challenges when it comes to recruiting qualified officers, and

Franklin has said the challenge increases with efforts to diversify the local force

.

The police department currently has 145 sworn officers, with 10 new officers participating in a badge-pinning ceremony last week. It leaves the department with five spaces to fill.

Commission member Kathy Meyerle also raised concerns about creating a number that could vary as police policies and practices change.

"It seems to me that fixing a number really makes it very difficult to respond to advances in policies and philosophy," she said.

Harris said such concerns could be addressed through a future charter amendment.

"It would be just as easy as implementing the minimum number of officers," he said. "It would be just as easy to change it, too."

Changing the city's charter requires either a unanimous vote by the Rochester City Council or voter approval in a public referendum.

In the end, commission members opted to hold off on further discussion until their Nov. 22 meeting, which could include Police Chief James Franklin, as well as others who could address staffing needs.