LIHU‘E — Kaua‘i Police Department Chief Todd Raybuck presented the proposed KPD budget before the Police Commission Friday, requesting an increase of more than $1.4 million over last year.
This change would take the total police budget to $41,701,612, a 3.7% increase over the $40,230,866 allocated last fiscal year.
The massive bulk, 74%, of the increase comes as the result of increased benefits for KPD employees.
Benefits would increase $1,347,410 under the new budget, including $21,352 in Social Security contributions, $210,051 in health fund contributions, $363,726 in retirement contributions and $752,281 in other post-employment benefits.
This contributes to a budget dominated by payroll spending — with 91% of the KPD budget going towards salary and benefits, compared to only 7% on operations.
“That’s a lot higher than a lot of other places where it’s probably 80% to 85%,” said Raybuck.
The proposed KPD operations budget also saw an increase of $383,687, largely driven by a $200,000 bill to fund the replacement of patrol vehicles. This comes as the result of the effect the COVID-19 pandemic had on the auto industry.
“This is basically a catch-up for us to start replacing some of these older vehicles, so we always have a police officer who can get where he needs to go — he’s not taking Kaua‘i Bus,” said Raybuck.
Due to shipping challenges, KPD did not allocate funds for any new vehicles last fiscal year, and hopes to cover the costs for several replacements.
The KPD Investigative Services Bureau saw an increase of $224,188, including $73,000 for training detectives and criminalists that had been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and $57,000 for replacement vests for the Special Response Team.
Short staffing
Raybuck emphasized during his presentation that KPD remains short-staffed, with 38 vacant positions as of March 31. Of these, 18 are sworn and 20 are civilian roles. In all, 237 positions are authorized, but only 199 have been filled.
While the department was able to hire 17 sworn officers in 2021, they also lost 15 due to retirement, resignation and separation. Many of the officers who resigned were new recruits in their first year on the force.
“This is a demanding and difficult job,” said Raybuck. “Some people that are very motivated towards this occupation get here and realize that it’s not like it is on television.”
Each of these vacant positions would command a salary of $65,000 plus benefits, leading to what Police Commission Vice Chair Gerald Bahouth described as “a tremendous amount of underfunded expenses.”
In past years, the County Council has allowed KPD to use some of the leftover funds to fill gaps in the operating budget. Last year, a rapid DNA testing system worth almost $400,000 was purchased with excess funds.
New facilities
More than $60,000 of the budget comes from the 5-year lease of a new Waimea substation in the West Kaua‘i Technology and Visitor Center.
KPD took occupancy of the building in October, which will eventually accommodate 32 employees.
Councilmember Luke Evslin voiced doubts about the pricetag — $1.92 per square foot — of the building at a council departmental budget review last month.
“I think it’s great that KPD is in there,” said Evslin. “I’m just wondering why that’s so expensive for a building the county owns.”
Evslin pointed to a new training facility, not owned by the county, leased at a more affordable rate than the Waimea substation.
The increased police budget is in line with Mayor Derek Kawakami’s proposed operating budget of $260.2 million and $48.9 million capital improvement projects budget for fiscal year 2023.
The proposed operating budget is an increase of about $17 million over FY 2022, and the capital improvement budget doubled last fiscal year’s $24.3 million.
The increased budget comes as the county has seen increased revenues due to the reclassification of the residential investor tax class and the county’s new transient accommodations tax. Revenues are up about 25%.
The proposed KPD budget presentation is viewable at kauaigovonline.org/WebLink/DocView.aspx?id=3124854&dbid=0&repo=LF-IMAGING
The full budget is slated for a public hearing May 11 at 5 p.m. at the Council Chambers on 4396 Rice Street in Lihu‘e.
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Guthrie Scrimgeour, reporter, can be reached at 647-0329 or gscrimgeour@thegardenisland.com.
