We need to put Public Safety – your safety – first.
The Property Crime Rate in Converse is too high : 15.04 per 1K residents (Source: FBI). Our families and businesses deserve better. We recruit police, train them, and then lose them to neighboring communities. Their safety equipment is outdated, our police cruisers are often in need of repair, and they need to increase their ranks to limit overtime and eventual staff burnout.
It sound expensive, and it is. The Converse Police Department currently accounts for 35% of the total city budget (Source: Converse 2024/2025 Approved Budget). Along with the Fire Department, Public Safety accounts for 60% of our expenditures.
However, we still have problems and even some consequences that are not obvious.
- Our police officers join the department, complete their initial training and onboarding, only to leave a few years later for better pay and work/life balance
- Employers looking to relocate or build out their operations rely on public safety to safeguard their investment and will not move to a city with a high crime rate
- Safety equipment that needs to be replaced and vehicles that must be maintained are potential lawsuits if not addressed
A Fully Staffed Department
That’s why we must retain experienced officers who know our city and keep our neighborhoods safe. Their familiarity with Converse means they are more efficient and capable. It also means we don’t have to recruit as often and compete with every other city and school district also looking for law enforcement personnel.
We need dedicated police officers that are well equipped to help us:
- Achieve low crime rates that are essential to recruiting new jobs and retaining existing businesses
- Mitigate the potential for costly litigation
- Build a community where everyone is welcome and feels safe