PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Staffing levels in Philadelphia’s public safety departments remain far below what’s budgeted for them, according to a report from the city controller.
Controller Christie Brady says fire, police and prisons, taken together, are 19% below the number of employees budgeted but the prisons alone are 43% below budget.
“It’s critical and I don’t see how they can properly function,” Brady said.
There were nearly 2,000 correctional officers before the pandemic. Now, there are just over 1,000.
Last month, the Parker administration announced a contract extension for prisons employees, including a 4.5% raise and bonuses. It also lifted the residency requirement.
“I know that the city is trying to hire in these departments but it is critically short,” Brady added.
The number of police officers has dropped steadily from more than 6,000 pre-pandemic to under 5,000. The number of firefighters, though, has continued to grow.
There are about 100 more firefighters now than before the pandemic, but the budget for firefighters has grown by 500.