Reed has scheduled a discussion of the report Wednesday at the City Council agenda-setting committee he leads. He wants the committee to have the city manager and auditor look it over and use the analysis to develop budget recommendations for the council.
"The IBM analysis will be of great interest and value as we attempt to restore some of the services that have been cut over the last decade," Reed said. "In my review of the report, it is clear that, as we restore services, we should not assume that we will rebuild our organization exactly as it was before the cuts."
But officers and firefighters blasted the report's suggestions, which come as Reed and other city leaders are preparing for a battle with employee unions over a June ballot measure on reducing future increases in pension benefits, a key driver of city budget deficits.
"Our staffing is the lowest it's been in decades, and it's insane to think we can go lower," said Jim Unland, president of the San Jose Police Officers' Association, whose ranks were reduced last year by the layoff of 66 officers and a rash of retirements of cops whose positions faced cuts.
The IBM analysis argued that crime has fallen in San Jose since 1980 and police staffing could be reduced accordingly.
If San Jose increased police "productivity" -- crimes per full-time police position -- to levels it had in the 1980s or those in other large cities, the report said, the city could cut some 400 police jobs and save up to $60 million.
The report further argued that the department could get better results by using data analysis to target officers in high-crime areas and times of day.
The analysis included all department staff, not just sworn officers, whose ranks have dropped from about 1,375 in 2009 to 1,099 today. The report noted that "these are not easy changes" and would need to be "well thought out."
Unland called them crazy.
"Anyone who thinks that we can cut 300 to 400 more police from our force doesn't understand the nature of police work," Unland said. "The city's No. 1 priority should be the protection of its citizens. Clearly our mayor has other priorities."
The report said that San Jose spends more per fire department staffer than comparable cities, including San Francisco and Los Angeles.
With firefighters now spending most of their time on medical calls, the report suggested many could be replaced by private paramedics or firefighters from other departments to lower costs.
Robert Sapien, president of the San Jose Firefighters union, argued that IBM is only seeking to boost its own business providing services that help cities use technology to fight crime and fires.
"They want San Jose to cut an additional 350 to 400 police officers and 150 firefighters, and then buy their computers and consultants to predict where crimes and fires will occur," Sapien said.
"This Ouija board gamble is nothing more than a risky scheme to boost their corporate bottom line."
Police and fire leaders were more diplomatic in their response, but echoed the rank and file in their skepticism of the report's recommendations.
"Suffice it to say we think there's no question we're at the lowest we can go at 1,099 officers," said Assistant Police Chief Rikki Goede.
Added Fire Chief Willie McDonald: "My professional observation is that the department is very lean and that running with fewer firefighters than we already have would not be a recommendation I would have made."
While San Jose residents and leaders alike are fretting over recent police and fire staffing cuts to fill budget holes, a new IBM analysis requested by Mayor Chuck Reed suggests the city's public safety departments are overstaffed and inefficient.
Reed has scheduled a discussion of the report Wednesday at the City Council agenda-setting committee he leads. He wants the committee to have the city manager and auditor look it over and use the analysis to develop budget recommendations for the council.
"The IBM analysis will be of great interest and value as we attempt to restore some of the services that have been cut over the last decade," Reed said. "In my review of the report, it is clear that, as we restore services, we should not assume that we will rebuild our organization exactly as it was before the cuts."
But officers and firefighters blasted the report's suggestions, which come as Reed and other city leaders are preparing for a battle with employee unions over a June ballot measure on reducing future increases in pension benefits, a key driver of city budget deficits.
"Our staffing is the lowest it's been in decades, and it's insane to think we can go lower," said Jim Unland, president of the San Jose Police Officers' Association, whose ranks were reduced last year by the layoff of 66 officers and a rash of retirements of cops whose positions faced cuts.
The IBM analysis argued that crime has fallen in San Jose since
The report also concluded that San Jose spends less on parks than comparable cities and that the department could do more to generate revenue.
Councilman Pierluigi Oliverio, a Reed ally, offered an alternative idea for the police department, which Reed's committee also will take up Wednesday. Oliverio proposed fixing the police share of the city's operating budget at some percentage through a voter-approved charter change.
The police department currently receives 34.7 percent of the city's $885.8 million general-fund budget, he said.
Asked about the IBM report, Oliverio was skeptical of reducing police staffing, arguing that there always are more things for officers to do.
"With more officers you can do more things," Oliverio said.
"If there's no major crime, fine, you can give out tickets for speeding, assist with code enforcement, all the things we never have time to enforce."
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