The City Council has approved hiring a full-time police officer primarily for traffic control. The action came after a study showed the city has the fewest police officers per capita among Davis County cities.
"Kaysville is experiencing tremendous growth and will continue to do so," said Councilman Brian D. Cook, who heads the city's new safety committee. "Kaysville has the lowest number of officers per population in the county."Cook said even with the addition, Kaysville will still remain the lowest per-capita force in the county with little opportunity to work traffic control.
The Kaysville Safety Committee is concerned about improving highway safety and believes the presence, or even perceived presence, of a traffic control officer in the city could deter speeding.
The City Council unanimously authorized approximately $27,000 toward hiring an officer for the remaining eight months of the city's fiscal budget year. The police department has an extra car. Some of the funds will go toward the new officer's personal equipment.
Police Chief Dave Helquist, who worked closely with the safety committee, said the new officer will not be a "speed cop" but will try to find solutions to traffic problems in the city.
The City Council also gave the police chief the flexibility to use the new officer as needed for other duties.
"We're better than we were three years ago," Helquist said regarding per-capita police figures. "But there's still times when we're shorthanded on patrol."
Councilman Robert H. Rees expressed concern that traffic duties might be pushed aside if the police are shorthanded.
"We need more traffic enforcement," Rees said.
However, Helquist promised to maintain the new officer on frequent traffic patrols, though he or she would be used as needed elsewhere, too.
Mayor H. Arthur Johnson said the Police Department is doing a great job despite their low numbers. He also said the annual cost of one new officer is about $40,000. The pro-rated money the council has allocated for the officer will be adjusted at the end of the year out of the general fund.
The addition will beef up the Kaysville police force to 14 officers and lower the per-capita rate to 1,286 residents per each officer, still in last place - slightly behind Farmington.
The latest per capita Davis County police figures were published during August, and city officials consider them accurate.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Police officers: DAVIS COUNTY
NUMBER OF RESIDENTS COST PER
CITY POPULATION OFFICERS PER OFFICER OFFICER
Bountiful 40,000 33 1,212 $108,382
Centerville 15,500 13 1,192 $75,180
Farmington 11,500 9 1,278 $71,620
Kaysville 18,000 13 1,385 $72,308
Layton 53,076 55 965 $77,845
N. Salt Lake 8,000 10 800 $68,232
West Bountiful 4,850 6 808 $55,782
Woods Cross 5,900 8 738 $83,661