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While officials from Suffolk's district attorney and sheriff offices came to the legislature Wednesday asking for more money in their 2010 budgets, Police Commissioner Richard Dormer said he needs nothing more than what County Executive Steve Levy proposed.
"I'm not here looking for you to enhance the proposed budget that the county executive sent over to the legislature," Dormer told the Public Safety Committee.
Legislators Wednesday virtually begged Dormer to ask for more resources. The Legislative Budget Review Office recommended adding one or two classes of 100 police officers each in the 2010 budget.
The commissioner said he will manage fine without them.
"I want to give you as much support as possible, but it seems like I'm fighting with you to help you," Legis. Jack Eddington (I-Medford) said. "Am I nuts?"
Levy proposed eliminating 60 police officers in his budget, though he has pledged to rescind the cut once the county reaches an agreement with the Police Benevolent Association on a new contract that includes a lag payroll. Dormer, who said he expects the agreement soon, said the department would "manage" if it loses 60 officers.
"I deal with whatever I get," Dormer said. "Whatever resources we get, we will manage them the best we can."
Dormer also sought to alleviate concerns that the county has seen an increase in violent robberies and assaults this year. While he said the department has moved to address the issue, he said not to pay heed to the statistics.
"You see spikes in crime all the time," he said. "I like to look at it over a year before you really get a good reading about what has happened. But even if we get an uptick, we do respond to it."
In other testimony, an aide to Sheriff Vincent DeMarco asked legislators to follow a Budget Review Office recommendation to add 20 more positions than the 20 Levy proposed. The aide warned that the state may forbid the county from opening its new jail, planned for completion in 2011, if it fails to meet state-mandated staffing levels.
"We simply cannot wait until the last minute to hire additional staff required to run the new facility," said Chief Michael Sharkey.
Sharkey said the sheriff's department expects to spend between $700,000 and $800,000 to pay overtime to deputy sheriffs assigned to patrol the Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway. Sharkey said deputy sheriffs account for about $6 million of the $22.6 million the sheriff's office has requested for 2010, with the rest going to correction officers.
Meanwhile, Bob Keron, a division chief for District Attorney Thomas Spota, asked lawmakers to add $1 million to his office's personnel budget to fill 24 vacant positions, which includes nine posts for investigators.
"I'm not here looking for you to enhance the proposed budget that the county executive sent over to the legislature," Dormer told the Public Safety Committee.
Legislators Wednesday virtually begged Dormer to ask for more resources. The Legislative Budget Review Office recommended adding one or two classes of 100 police officers each in the 2010 budget.
The commissioner said he will manage fine without them.
"I want to give you as much support as possible, but it seems like I'm fighting with you to help you," Legis. Jack Eddington (I-Medford) said. "Am I nuts?"
Levy proposed eliminating 60 police officers in his budget, though he has pledged to rescind the cut once the county reaches an agreement with the Police Benevolent Association on a new contract that includes a lag payroll. Dormer, who said he expects the agreement soon, said the department would "manage" if it loses 60 officers.
"I deal with whatever I get," Dormer said. "Whatever resources we get, we will manage them the best we can."
Dormer also sought to alleviate concerns that the county has seen an increase in violent robberies and assaults this year. While he said the department has moved to address the issue, he said not to pay heed to the statistics.
"You see spikes in crime all the time," he said. "I like to look at it over a year before you really get a good reading about what has happened. But even if we get an uptick, we do respond to it."
In other testimony, an aide to Sheriff Vincent DeMarco asked legislators to follow a Budget Review Office recommendation to add 20 more positions than the 20 Levy proposed. The aide warned that the state may forbid the county from opening its new jail, planned for completion in 2011, if it fails to meet state-mandated staffing levels.
"We simply cannot wait until the last minute to hire additional staff required to run the new facility," said Chief Michael Sharkey.
Sharkey said the sheriff's department expects to spend between $700,000 and $800,000 to pay overtime to deputy sheriffs assigned to patrol the Long Island Expressway and Sunrise Highway. Sharkey said deputy sheriffs account for about $6 million of the $22.6 million the sheriff's office has requested for 2010, with the rest going to correction officers.
Meanwhile, Bob Keron, a division chief for District Attorney Thomas Spota, asked lawmakers to add $1 million to his office's personnel budget to fill 24 vacant positions, which includes nine posts for investigators.
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