The Cherry Hill Police Department chooses POSS™
(Police Officer Scheduling System)
Freehold, NJ – December 4, 2008 - VCSI, the Public Safety Scheduling Consultancy & Software Corporation, is pleased to announce that the Cherry Hill, NJ Police Department has selected POSS for its time management and shift scheduling needs after an extensive and formalized study of various competitive software systems.
Controlling costs and improving scheduling efficiency were paramount factors in the selection of POSS. Needing to cut overtime expenses and manage workloads, it became clear that POSS was their choice for scheduling solutions as detailed by Police Chief Charlie Jones in an article to Adam Smeltz of the Courier Post.
December 4, 2008
Cherry Hill set to cut police costs by $100K
By ADAM SMELTZ
Courier-Post Staff
The township police department could save as much as $100,000 from its $15 million budget by cutting overtime expenses next year, Police Chief Charlie Jones said this week.
But the change should not mean any reduction in police patrols or availability, he said. Rather, Jones said, the township can achieve the cost controls with a simple fix: new computer software to organize officer schedules more effectively.
"We need it to show us where we're using our time," Jones said. " . . . Basically, it's going to make us more efficient and pinpoint where we can improve" scheduling practices and rebalance officers' work loads.
He said the software, to cost about $38,000, could be in place by February.
Money for the equipment came not from tax dollars, but from funds confiscated in police investigations -- money taken in drug seizures, Jones said. That cash is tagged for police equipment and training.
Messages left for two collective-bargaining units in Cherry Hill -- the Fraternal Order of Police and the Cherry Hill Police Benevolent Association -- were not immediately returned Wednesday.
Overtime expenses overall account for 4.8 percent, or about $740,000, of the annual police budget, according to the office of Mayor Bernie Platt. The mayor has held several public meetings this year to seek resident input on cost controls and new revenue sources.
Still, the township is facing a municipal-property tax increase that could hit 17 percent for the 2009 fiscal year. Mayoral spokesman Dan Keashen said Platt supports the police overtime-reduction effort.
And any savings from those reductions "will go directly toward property-tax relief," he said.
But "we will not undermine public safety in any way, shape or form," Keashen said. "We will always keep enough officers on the street to make sure Cherry Hill remains one of the best places to live in the country."
The township police force counts 145 members, about 10 fewer than the ideal number recommended by a recent study. Eight additional officers will strengthen the force by March or April.
Cherry Hill is not alone in South Jersey in its push for better police efficiency. Mount Laurel in September announced a plan to extend officer shifts to 12 hours -- an effort to increase patrols without increasing expenses.
Reach Adam Smeltz at (856) 486-2919 or asmeltz@gannett.com
VCSI, a sought-after scheduling consultancy corporation, provides contemporary software solutions that synthesize straightforward functionality and affordability. The Police Officer Scheduling System™ [POSS] and Fire-Rescue Scheduling [FIRES] revolutionize the way public safety organizations manage extra duty, payroll, training certification, and timesheet reports, all with Internet and Intranet capabilities. The POSS Audio-Response System™ [PARS] launches immediate telephony technology to assemble specialized teams for emergency response. The Time Attendance System™ [TIMS] incorporates employee management and timekeeping functions with time clock swipe automation and photo identification applications.***
For more information about VCSI, please visit www.vcssoftware.com or call 888-864-4144. Media Contact: Diane DiMemmo (888) 864-4144 or E-mail diane@vcssoftware.com.
“Your willingness to adapt your POSS application to meet the specific needs of our department has made the program a great success.”
-Lt. Thomas Altizio
Scarsdale Police Department