Metra has cut police overtime costs by 33 percent over the past two years and overtime hours by 23 percent during the same period according to a report delivered to the Metra Board of Directors Jan. 13, at its monthly meeting.
Metra Police Chief Joseph Perez said the reductions were primarily achieved through reorganization and reprioritization of staffing assignments within the department, which allocated resources to areas where the need for police response is greatest. These reductions were made while the total budgeted headcount of Metra police officers remained unchanged.
“We’re staffing smarter and this has enabled us to not just simply reduce costs but to better align our efforts to our mission to safeguard the lives of all those who ride our trains and our employees,” Perez said. “In 2015, our officers rode more than 3,000 trains and we plan to increase that number in 2016. Our goal is to be a visible and proactive presence throughout the Metra system.”
In 2013, Metra Police worked a total of 44,004 hours of overtime at a total cost of $2.25 million. Following the reorganization in mid-2014, overtime was reduced to 36,744 hours ($1.66 million) in 2014 without increasing budgeted positions. 2015 preliminary numbers show further reductions in overtime hours to 34,000 hours ($1.53 million).
While the overall spending on overtime decreased, the Metra Police Department was able to further reduce Metra’s direct spending by continuing to leverage available federal funding. U.S. Department of Homeland Security grant funds are used to cover costs associated with Metra’s K-9 explosive detection unit, some of the agency’s anti-terrorism efforts and to cover additional staffing for high-profile events such as Independence Day and the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks.
From 2013 to 2015, Metra’s total direct spending on police overtime decreased by more than $726,000 while dollars from federal sources used to cover overtime costs remained relatively stable. Federal dollars spent on police overtime were $662,000 in 2013, $623,000 in 2014 and an estimated $621,000 in 2015. The result of this decrease in overtime spending represents an actual cost saving to Metra of more than $1.3 million over the two- year period.
