The Springdale Police Department is in need of new hires to accommodate the growth of the city and the demand of the jail.
During Tuesday night's Budget Committee Meeting, the department asked the city to find room in the budget to add two sergeants, two dispatchers, a jailer and a bailiff.
"The sergeants are the first line supervisors for the patrol officers so they respond to critical calls and we know we'd been short in that area... We haven't added dispatchers which is a big concern because our call volume is up so we need those positions," said Captain Mike Peters with the Springdale Police Department.
The city conducted a Matrix Efficiency Study and determined where they might be falling short. The results recommended the city hire four sergeants, five dispatchers, three jailers, and one bailiff.
"That's another thing that was identified in the efficiency study that we didn't have enough jailers to run our jail," said Peters.
Peters said Springdale is the only city operating its own jail in Washington County, so the need for manpower is vital.
"With sergeant positions, we've been short for a long time, we knew we were short, it's just a matter of financing."
"We're taking what we learned now and trying to apply that as best we can as quickly as we can," said Mayor Doug Sprouse.
Sprouse is working to balance the budget and believes the city council will most likely approve even more positions for police. The goal is to eventually hire the recommended amount of positions, but the department is looking for a compromise in the meantime.
"Right now we prioritize the police and fire and doing the thing that, everything we can that this study recommended."
Several city offices are working together to support additional staff on a budget and ensure the safety of folks in Springdale.
"It's a tough process that all cities have to go through, especially when times are tight, but we're thankful that we're in a position that we can begin to make these adjustments," said Sprouse.
Mayor Sprouse would like to see the budget approved by the end of 2012. The city council asked the police department to calculate how much it would cost to hire additional officers and bring hard numbers to the next meeting.
