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‘Something’s got to give’ Sylva police chief argues for more officers BY HOLLY KAYS STAFF WRITER very year, Sylva’s department heads have a chance to tell town commissioners what they need — and what they want — in the next year’s budget. During a Jan. 28 work session, Police Chief Chris Hatton kept his list short and to the point. “My needs are real simple,” he said. “Two officers is what I’m asking for. To be honest, the numbers would justify more.”
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EXPLODING DEMAND
Smoky Mountain News
February 10-16, 2021
The Sylva Police Department employs 14 sworn officers, a level that has remained constant since 2008, even as calls for service have doubled. Hatton made a similar argument during last year’s budget talks in 2020, telling commissioners that call volumes had risen more than 30 percent between 2016 and 2019, with total arrests more than doubling in the same period. Over the past year, the situation has escalated. The number of officer actions and calls for service increased by 64.7 percent between 2019 and 2020, shooting up from 8,199 in 2019 to 13,500 last year. “We thought we’d hit 13,000 calls by 2024,” Hatton told commissioners. “Well, we hit that and surpassed it last year.” Officers responded to 130 different types of situations, everything from speeding complaints to wellness checks to 911 calls. Interestingly enough, said Hatton, actual crime is down. Officers took fewer incident reports and did fewer investigations in 2020 than the previous year, but spiking calls for other types of situations more than compensated. In particular, Hatton’s department saw an increase in calls related to illegal drug use, mental illness and poverty or homelessness. In 2020, they saved 11 lives using Narcan to reverse overdoses. “I wish we could rename our profession, because we’re called law enforcement but actually a small portion of our job is spent on enforcing laws,” he said. “They should call us community problems solvers.” While Hatton said he anticipates the numbers going down some in 2021 as the pandemic eases, he said he doesn’t expect them to fall very much. He needs more officers, he told commissioners. It’s not just about calls for service. As it is, Sylva relies on help from other jurisdictions to staff special events, because the town doesn’t have enough officers to close down Main Street on its own. When somebody goes on vacation or travels for a training course, another officer must work on what would otherwise be a day off to cover those shifts. “Something’s got to give, because they are asking more and more from our staff, and we 12 don’t have it to give,” said Hatton. “The frus-
number of items or cluster them all around a smaller number of items of particular importance to them. Additional officers received more votes than any of the other priorities trating part for me as the chief is, I see situalisted, with 28 votes for hiring one additional tions that are happening where we could realofficer and 23 votes to fill Hatton’s entire ly do a better job, but because we’re so busy request for two officers. we’re not able to sink in and dig in on that The second-place pick, with 19 votes, was problem.” a new Polaris vehicle for use in Pinnacle Park, a $19,000 price tag. That request came from Public Works Director Jake Scott but would EIGHING THE PRICE TAG be a shared asset with the police department. Currently, Scott’s crew uses town trucks While the list was short, Hatton’s request to get up the trail for maintenance, a steep was the most costly on commissioners’ final and rocky drive that is extremely hard on the list of departmental needs and wants. Salary vehicles and allows for access to only a small and benefits would cost $59,000 for each portion of the 1,529 forested acres under hire, plus additional needs like uniforms and town ownership — crews haven’t done any equipment. A fully equipped police car costs maintenance on the newly acquired about $44,000. During the meeting, commisBlackrock Creek property because it is so sioners discussed delaying the surplus of an inaccessible. Scott wants to buy an off-road existing police car if just one additional offivehicle that will fit up to six crew members cer were hired but buying one new car if two within a 6-foot footprint. The model he hopes were hired. to buy would also have a roof and a windshield to allow crews to get out of the weather should a storm come up while they’re out working. Hatton applauded that ask, telling commissioners about a recent call his department had about overdue hikers at Pinnacle Park. It was around 5:30 p.m. on a night when temperatures were predicted to fall below freezing, and the missing group included some small children. “We used Jake’s guys’ trucks, and it did not go smoothly at all trying to get to some of those places,” he said. “Thank goodness we got there to start looking for these folks and they came out. That was wonderful, but we’re going to have situations Sylva’s police officers saw a spike in demand for services over the last year. Sylva graph where folks actually get lost out there.” Commissioners’ New officers will receive the same basic third budget priority, with 15 votes, was The police department is already the biggest ticket item in the town budget, which training that current officers had upon being $13,000 for a part-time sanitation employee in fiscal year 2020-21 clocked in at $4.16 mil- hired. But Hatton said he makes it a priority to help out with the explosion of solid waste lion all told. Of that, the police department to seek opportunities to get his officers Scott’s department has been dealing with. In trained in “the modern topics everyone is 2019, crews picked up 1,056 tons of municimade up $1.4 million, or 33.7 percent. “The police department is such a big part interested in.” This year, he said, his officers pal solid waste, and in 2020 that figure shot of our budget for our town, and I feel like we are taking classes on decision-making for law up to 1,293.5 tons. Next was $7,000 to research the feasibility should be having a whole session on just talk- enforcement and de-escalation tactics. of a public bathroom downtown, with 14 ing about policing and the police departvotes, and then a $7,000 boom-mounted ment,” said Commissioner Ben Guiney. UDGET PRIORITIES mowing head with 12 votes. Tied with 11 Commissioners recognized the challenges Hatton’s department is facing but had quesDespite the request’s hefty price tag, votes were improvements to Bryson Park, tions about the request. Commissioner David board members ranked hiring additional offi- Bridge Park improvements and new town Nestler pointed out that Sylva has more offi- cers as their top priority for the 2021-22 entrance signs. All other listed priorities cers per thousand town residents than sur- budget. received fewer than 10 votes. rounding towns such as Waynesville, Franklin The board’s next planned budget discusEach board member received 24 votes to and Bryson City. Why, he wanted to know, affix to any of the 15 budget wants and needs sion will occur at 10 a.m. Thursday, March was the department still so overloaded? identified during the work session — mem- 25, when they will work with staff to priori“Sylva is a small population on paper, but bers could spread the votes out over a large tize needs and objectives for the coming year.
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our traffic volume is through the roof,” Hatton replied. “Our main intersection here sees the same amount of traffic as Tunnel Road (in Asheville). We have a lot of people coming through our town who don’t necessarily live here.” Nestler also asked how much of the increase in officer actions was due to technology that makes it easier for officers to log activities during their shift. Hatton said that’s a consideration that could be inflating the numbers somewhat but that his department is still seeing “a heck of a spike.” Commissioner Greg McPherson questioned Hatton about the type of training the new officers would receive. Would they receive training that reflects “the 21stCentury evolution of the police department?” he asked. “Our training for police officers is not something that just happens and it’s over,” Hatton replied. “We have mandatory training we do every year.”
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