ECPD uses self-reporting for lesser property crimes to cope with rising workload

Sep. 28—EAU CLAIRE — Eau Claire residents who are victims of lesser property crimes — shoplifting, small thefts and fraud — are asked to fill out their own online reports, but won't talk with an officer unless there's follow-up on their case.

It's one of the changes the Police Department instituted in the past few years to keep up its ability to quickly respond to major crimes and emergencies while its staffing has remained stagnant.

"We don't want to do more of that," Police Chief Matt Rokus said, referring to the reduction in customer service represented by self-reporting minor thefts.

During a Wednesday morning information session on an upcoming public safety referendum, Rokus explained the pressures being put upon Eau Claire's current police force.

As the number of officers has stayed the same, the number of calls for service has risen 67% in the past decade. There were 28,877 calls for police help in 2012 compared to 48,211 last year, according to statistics from the Police Department.

Police have also been dealing with more complex situations, which each take up significantly more of officers time than more routine calls, Rokus said. Those situations involve people with mental health issues, those under the influence of drugs and alcohol, individuals armed with weapons and children in danger, he said.

On Nov. 8, Eau Claire residents will be asked to vote on a $1.45 million ongoing increase in city property taxes to pay for 15 new public safety positions. Those new jobs would be six police officers, six firefighter/paramedics, two civilian community service officers and one assistant in the local 911 center. For the owner of a $200,000 home, the referendum would add $45 to their annual property tax bill, according to the city.

To educate voters on the reasons why it is going to a referendum, the city's leaders are holding a series of informational meetings in the community. The first was held Wednesday morning at L.E. Phillips Memorial Public Library, which will also be the site of a few more referendum meetings before the election. The same presentation and opportunity to ask questions about the referendum will also be done at upcoming gatherings of neighborhood associations and community groups.

Along with the Police Department, the Eau Claire Fire Department was represented at Wednesday morning's meeting.

Jon Schultz, deputy chief of operations-EMS, said rising call volumes and a decrease in staffing during the past decade has resulted in lengthened response times.

While it has long strived and managed to stay within an average of getting an ambulance or firetruck on-scene in less than five minutes, he said the average time has now reached 5 minutes and 25 seconds.

That may not sound like much, but Schultz said that when responding to a medical emergency or a building fire, arriving seconds faster can make a critical difference. He also noted the response time was an average, meaning it would take shorter or longer for units to arrive, depending on other emergencies already happening in the city at the same time.

Attendance at Wednesday's informational meeting was light with about 15 people in the audience — the general public was outnumbered by city staff and elected officials there.

Eau Claire resident Eleanor Wolf said she is likely to vote in favor of the referendum because she agrees additional public safety jobs are needed. But she was still critical on whether the police should continue having community resource officers in Eau Claire schools.

"Wouldn't it be better to put those officers into regular police duty?" she said.

The five officers in Eau Claire schools are funded jointly by the city and school district. Should those be eliminated, Rokus said that would only allow for two officers fully funded by the city.

The police chief backed the continued use of school resource officers, stating that they build relationships between law enforcement, students and faculty, as well as respond to safety issues that arise within schools.

Another Eau Claire resident at the meeting, Jon Case, said his income as a retiree hasn't kept pace with all the rising costs he's facing.

"As senior citizens, we can only spend so much," he said.

He noted that his property tax bill already went up last year, and he's not going to vote for more taxes through a referendum because of the financial situation he and other retirees are facing.

City Council President Terry Weld responded that he understands the predicament seniors on a fixed income are in, but said the city government is also in a financial squeeze.

"To try and meet the needs and provide services is just impossible," he said.

The long declining amount of state taxes that go to communities as well as limits on property tax increases were among the factors Weld cited when explaining the city's operating budget crunch.