Budget & Finance
The mission of the Riley County Police Department Finance Office is to minimize the financial and social cost of public safety. The RCPD recognizes the need for operational efficiency in order to minimize the cost to the taxpayer. The primary role of the finance section is to track expenditures and produce reports which allow staff to make fiscal decisions that support professional policing in Riley County in the most efficient manner possible.
RCPD's 2023 budget of $25,000,080 has been approved by the Law Board and represents an 8.37% increase from the 2022 approved budget.
The 2023 approved budget will provide the resources necessary for the agency to meet its strategic goals of minimizing the financial and social cost of public safety, maintaining a safe and secure community, promoting legitimacy in the eyes of the public, and creating a culture of service throughout the organization.
"The goal of the 2023 RCPD budget is to address the immediate personnel needs we face," Interim Director Kurt Moldrup said. "In order for our agency's continued commitment to provide professional law enforcement services to this community, we must be able to attract and retain quality talent."
With this additional funding the department will add:
- 5.1% Cost of Living Adjustment (COLA) to employee salaries
- The first half of salary survey implementation
The comprehensive salary survey conducted by the Arnold Group revealed RCPD lost its position in the local job market. Recruiting and retention have suddenly become serious concerns as evidenced by the over twenty job vacancies RCPD routinely experiences each month. Staffing for community-focused enhancements and training programs were removed from consideration for the 2023 budget due to the growing need to address cost of living adjustments and once again become competitive in the job market.
"Implementation of the salary survey represents an investment into the public safety of Riley County for years to come," Moldrup said. "We want to compensate our employees fairly for the hard work they perform to make Manhattan and Riley County a great place to live."
The majority (85%) of the RCPD budget is expended on personnel. Therefore, maintaining modest authorized personnel levels without sacrificing public safety is RCPD's primary means of cost control. Currently, there are 1.49 police officers per 1,000 residents in Riley County, a significantly lower number than the state (3.74) and national (2.4) ratios. Despite the low officer-to-citizen ratio, Riley County has enjoyed lower crime rates than the state average for the past 18 years. Past research, supported by recent inquiries, has revealed RCPD's percentage of the City and County's overall budget is comparable to or lower than similarly-sized agencies in the region.
"RCPD's only source of funding, by statute, is property taxes and we understand the pressure on our local leaders to contain tax elevations," Moldrup said. "We also recognize the level of services our local taxpayers have come to expect and deserve from RCPD. Manhattan and Riley County continue to attract businesses and residents because it is a safe place to live as shown by their below-average crime rates. We will continue to provide professional, effective, and efficient services to the taxpayers who live here."