Salaam asks about juvenile rearrest increase; Dessimore cites staffing and unit alignment
Salaam asks over what period juvenile rearrests rose 50% and what DOP attributes the increase to. Dessimore cites staffing shortages and officers carrying six or seven mixed units, and says DOP is aligning high-risk, moderate, and low-risk units and lowering high-risk caseloads.
Is it morning still?
Good morning.
We have overall 171 vacancy rates.
And of that, 134 are probation officer in the probation officer series.
We plan on hopefully...
Staffing up within the next year with the four classes coming in at 50.
So we should be in good shape by then.
Thank you.
And in terms of outcomes and performances, juvenile rearrest rates rose 50% over, rose 50%.
Over that, over what period from what base number and to what does DOP attribute the increase to?
Can you repeat the last part of your question?
Sure.
So the juvenile rearrest rate rose 50%.
Over what period, from what base number, and to what does DOP attribute the increase?
Well, I think part of it, as we know, and we talked about just staffing is one issue, and we are improving with that.
Also, just in terms of the alignment of the units, right?
Officers were carrying sometimes six and seven different units, whether low, high, and moderate.
So we, with all the boroughs, we are making changes to that so that the officers are
identified as high-risk officers, those that are moderate and those that are low, to make sure that it's right-sizing and one-size for those young people.
And I think that it's easier to manage for the officers and then making sure we also lower the caseloads for those higher-risk population.
Another thing is that it's very important that we...
Meet with those young people immediately, right?
We find out what is going on.
We sit with that young person to set goals and to see what they need and also just to figure out what is driving the behavior, right?
And it's always about...