Police Force Stalled by Budget Constraints
Newly annexed districts in Tacoma wait in vain for patrols as funds run dry.
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Residents of Hunt's Prairie and the district recently annexed to the Sixth Ward, who petitioned the council Wednesday for a footed policeman, will not have an officer for five months unless the police and license committee makes a special appropriation for his salary. According to a report completed by Police Clerk Perry, this year's police budget will be just sufficient for the maintenance of the department. There is only $32,200.04 to last until August 1. It costs the police department an average of $6,458 per month in running expenses. The original budget only called for five extra patrolmen, and that already ten new men have been added to the force.
“Residents of Hunt's Prairie and district recently annexed to Sixth Ward, who petitioned the council Wednesday for a footed policeman, will not have an officer for five months.”
The tension between rapid neighborhood annexation and the fiscal capacity to provide city services like public safety is a recurring theme in Tacoma’s growth. Today, this translates into ongoing debates about municipal budget priorities and the adequacy of staffing in newly expanded urban corridors.
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