Staff reductions within Brookings Police Department are being discussed as a possible way to help balance next year’s city budget.

Budget Committee members, meeting Tuesday in their second workshop, split on the question of whether police department cuts should be considered.

The panel will give a recommendation to the Brookings City Council, which will make the final decision on a budget for fiscal year 2012-13, beginning July 1.

Mayor Larry Anderson said that, reluctantly, he believes the police staffing level must be looked at.

“I think we have to look at every operation in the city,” he said.

“There are no sacred cows,” agreed City Council member Jake Pieper, who also serves on the Budget Committee.

“My feeling is everything is on the table,” added Candace  Michael, a citizen member of the budget group.

But City Council and Budget Committee member Dave Gordon strongly opposed considering cuts to police. Reducing the number of officers on the street would invite an increase in crime, he said.

“If you want to see economic growth, maintain what we have,” Gordon said. “The (number of officers) we have today is critical to maintain. It is not on the table.”

Sally Laasch, a citizen member of the committee, took the same stance.

Police Chief Chris Wallace said after the meeting that staffing is out of his hands, but emphasized police will deal with whatever decision the council eventually makes.

“I take direction from the city manager,” he said. “We’ll do the best we can.”

Wallace noted that the council’s goal in 2008-09 was to increase police patrol numbers to the current level – 14 officers, including Wallace.

“The staffing we have now is extremely adequate,” the chief said.

That’s despite patrol numbers being below the national average for cities of less than 10,000 population, Wallace said.

The national staff level for police departments in towns of Brookings’ size is 3.3 officers per 1,000 population, he said. Brookings Police Department has 2.0 officers per 1,000 population, even after recently hiring a new officer, Rob Johnson.

Anderson said it’s unrealistic to look to the Curry County Sheriff’s Office to pick up possible slack in staffing. That department has had steady cuts during recent years.

“I don’t think we can count on the county for anything,” Anderson said.

City Manager Gary Milliman addressed the idea, raised during the Budget Committee’s first meeting, of saving some money by contracting some services with the private sector or other government agencies.

Milliman said in a report that such activities as building inspection, water plant operations, landscape maintenance, street sweeping, payroll, and park maintenance are just some of the possible candidates for contracting to the private sector or other public jurisdictions.

In addition, law enforcement and 911 dispatching might be handled by another government agency, he wrote in his report.

Milliman did not recommend taking that step. He noted that contracting out for services might save money, but there are several potential drawbacks, including the loss of flexibility in the use of manpower – especially in responding to emergencies.

Also, he said private contractors  would not be answerable to city management in terms of working with the public, work habits, appearance and other topics.

The city currently contracts for engineering, legal services, street markings, janitorial service and information technology.

The next Budget Committee workshop will be Monday, Jan. 13, at 4 p.m. in City Hall.