Darlington Police Department
Questions & Answers about the Darlington Police Department
Subjects:
1. Budget
5. Case Load
7. Immigration
Answers:
1. Budget: The City of Darlington Police Department has always prided itself in providing efficient, cost-effective services, which is evident by the fact that its budget, according to the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance, is below the state average. According to the Wisconsin Chief's of Police Association, Darlington's annual Police budget is roughly $100,000 less than comparable communities. Even while working with fewer officers and fewer dollars, the Darlington Police Department's clearance rate for criminal activity is above the state average. We're proud to be able to provide the same standard of care to our residents as the rest of the state but at a better price.
When broken down on a per capita level, in 2012 each resident of Darlington will pay $16 per month for 24 hour police protection, which is much less than most other bills one pays each month.
2. Seatbelt Enforcement Grant: The seatbelt enforcement grant has now expired and the elevated enforcement period has ended. During the months of January -June, 2011, the department issued 162 seatbelt tickets (less than one per day), removed 18 unlicensed drivers from the streets, arrested 10 wanted people, made 8 criminal arrests, and made 2 drug arrests.
During the same time period, 41,000 seatbelt tickets were issued statewide. Other agencies in Lafayette County who participated in the seatbelt enforcement grant included the Lafayette County Sheriff's Department and the Wisconsin State Patrol.
To learn more about why DPD participated in the grant program, click here.
3. Drunk Driving Enforcement: The current Darlington Police Department averages less than one drunk driving arrest per month, which is the lowest arrest average in Darlington in over three decades. This is because the current department places considerable value in responses that are preventive in nature rather than reactive. Officers remain visible in the downtown area in order to prevent problems and to provide rides home. The Police Department is also a supporter of the Road Crew, having provided $2,000 in grant dollars to the organization to promote safe modes of transport in the Darlington area for bar patrons. The Darlington Police Department invites people to have a fun, yet safe, time in Darlington.
4. Teens on Main Street: The Darlington Police Department is a strong advocate of area youth as evidenced by our strong police-school liaison program. Teens have always been (and always will be) welcome to meet and socialize on the downtown median and/or make laps on Main Street. This being said, we also recognize the fact times have changed. As times have changed so has the social networking arena. While older generations recall Main Street being their social networking site, current teens utilize cell phones and internet based social networking sites to keep in touch. This has resulted in a gradual decline in the presence of teens on Main Street over the past ten years. While it may not make sense to generations past, it makes sense to current teens who find it to be more convenient and save money on gasoline and wear-and-tear on their vehicle.
5. Case Load: The Darlington Police Department provides 24/7 police coverage, protection, and service to 2,500 residents. We also provide services to tourists at the campgrounds and hotels, the school district campus, the roughly 10,000 motorists who traverse our community daily, and anyone else within the corporate boundaries of the City of Darlington. On occasion we assist the Sheriff's Department with calls in a number of different townships throughout the county under emergent situations. This results in a caseload that exceeds 3,000 incidents per year. Less than 1,000 of these incidents are enforcement related. The remainder of these incidents, which is the overwhelming majority, are service related which means most of the officers' time is spent serving others in their time of need.
6. Staffing Levels: The Darlington Police Department has five full-time patrol officers. There is only one officer on patrol at a time. This is supplemented at times by the Chief of Police on weekdays. The department tries to maintain a part-time contingent of five officers who act as substitutes for the full-time staff during times of sickness and vacation and who also assist in providing services on busy weekends or during special events.
The Darlington Police Department's full-time staffing level is below state and national averages. Of the population groups with the city label, cities with 10,000 or less in population average 3.5 law enforcement officers per 1,000 inhabitants. Wisconsin’s statewide average is 2.3 officers per 1,000 residents. Darlington’s average is 2 officers per 1,000 residents, which is lower than all categories of jurisdictions.
7. Immigration: This link takes you to a question and answer paper that was created as a result of questions posed to officers regarding Darlington's growing immigrant population. Click Here.
If you would like to ask a question or have a topic addressed on this site, please email Chief King at jason.king@cityofdarlingtonwi.org
