BY JIMMY LAWTON
North Country This Week

OGDENSBURG – Ogdensburg City Police Chief Robert Wescott is requesting two additional police officers in the 2021 budget, but there was no indication from council that the jobs would be approved.

Chief Wescott said the city budget currently includes 23 officers, but said two more are needed to ensure smooth operations and continued success in fighting the city’s drug problem.

“I would like to be at 25, knowing that one officer would be paid for and dedicated to the city school district,” he said.

Wescott said the city had 29 officers in 2019, 28 in the 2020 budget and is currently down to 21 actual officers at the department. One of those officers, a police narcotics detective, has been out on injury since spring.

He said having 24 officers, and an additional officer at the school would put the department at the bare minimum needed.

He said that Ogdensburg ranks number one in the state for meth labs and his department has executed 37 search warrants and criminal investigations this year alone.

Wescott has called for the elimination of the detective sergeant position and the creation of an extra lieutenant position. Wescott said this was necessary to assist in administrative duties, which would be increasing workload due to police and court reforms mandated by the state.

Deputy Mayor John Rishe said that he believed the national average police force size for the state was between 16 and 21 officers per 10,000 people.

Rishe also pointed out that police and fire service alone eat up most of the city’s $5.5 million tax levy. He estimated $3.9 million for fire and $2.7 million for police. He said without sales tax and a “couple of million dollars” in state aid the city couldn't fund the departments.

“That is what we are all struggling with,” he said.

He noted that Gouverneur, Canton, Potsdam and Massena have smaller police forces.

“We still have the largest department in St. Lawrence County even though our population is starting to decline,” he said.

Wescott said that if you look at call volume, it shows that Ogdensburg is unique compared to other departments. He also noted that Ogdensburg police have solved some violent crimes in recent years including armed home invasions and shootings.

“There may be an average for a community of our size, but it’s an average, some are more, some are less,” he said.

Councilor Nichole Kennedy supported the chief’s call for additional officers.

The additional officers would increase the budget by about $185,000, according to Wescott. That figure includes salary and benefits.

Fisher said that with rising costs adding the two officers would have a major impact on the budget down the road. According to Fisher hiring the additional staff would nearly offset the recent savings from downsizing the force within a few years.

No action was taken at the meeting as it was a budget works session. The city is expected to discuss the fire budget at the Nov. 30 meeting at 6 p.m.