You Ask, Patch Answers: Police Chief Replies to Millage Questions

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Public safety millage questions and answers: Questions and comments have been pouring in to Royal Oak Patch since the Royal Oak City Commission unanimously voted to start the process to put a referendum on the ballot this November asking the voters for a

To answer readers' questions, Patch talked to Interim Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue in his office in downtown Royal Oak. Here’s the second in a series of Q & As with the chief.

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With current staffing numbers, it appears a millage won't bring the Royal Oak Police Department up to minimum levels. Is the request for 13 sworn officers enough?

It's true that in 2002 the Royal Oak Police Department had 103 sworn officers and today there are just 66 sworn officers. If the millage is approved, the plan is to add an additional 13 sworn officers for a total of 79, according to O'Donohue.

"I am confident with 79 sworn officers we'll be able to police Royal Oak the way we are supposed to," O'Donohue said.

While the number of sworn officers won't match the staffing levels a decade ago, the chief said the department will be restructured to make it as efficient as possible.

"There is no fluff in the number of officers we are requesting, but it is definitely enough to get the job done," O'Donohue said. "We'll be right-sized."

The chief added the millage has a sunset clause. "If we don't make good on our promises, voters can decide not to renew in five years."

In February, O'Donohue and Royal Oak City Commissioners studied the findings of a . The report was done by the International City/County Management Association (ICMA), a nonprofit public safety consultant. The IMCA report recommended adding officers, civilian employees and restructuring the department into two divisions. (A copy of the ICMA report is attached as a PDF to this article.) 

I was told by a previous mayor that 80-90 percent of police live outside of Royal Oak. How many police officers are there, and how many live within Royal Oak?

There are 66 sworn officers and about 20 (or 30 percent) live within the city limits, O'Donohue said. 

Is the millage large enough to keep Royal Oak safe and at or below current crime rates, or is it a compromise between what is needed and your perception of what the voters will support?

"Seventy-nine officers is enough to keep Royal Oak safe," O'Donohue said. "I have no doubt about it."

As for crime rates, there are lot of factors that come into play, the chief said.

"National and statewide trends will affect Royal Oak, but we need to ensure the local police department is adequately staffed to respond to crime in Royal Oak," O'Donouhue said.

In June, about 200 members of the community attended the firstat  where O'Donohue presented a series of statistics that show show crime is trending down over the past decade.

(You can watch a video of O'Donohue's Royal Oak Safe Neighborhoods Community Dialogue presentation in the video attached to this article.)

Come back to Royal Oak Patch next week for more answers to your public safety questions from Chief O'Donohue.