Res 2001-059 - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Safety NeedJInability to Address without Federal Assistance San Marcos, with a population of over 40,000 residents lies in the cemer of the Austin- San Antonio corridor. Austin boats a population over 650,000 and San Antonio over 1,000,000. San Marcos is home to Southwest Texas State University, which has an enrollment of over 24,000 students. IH-35 runs north to south, dividing the city in half. Over 65,000 vehicles are estimated to travel on the interstate through the city each day. The largest outlet mall in the state is within the city limits of San Marcos with an estimated 100,000 persons visiting each weekend day or holiday. For year 1999-2000, the San Marcos Police Department experienced a 10.72% increase in calls for service. During this same time period, 'With accompanying increases in property and assaultive crimes reflected our grO\v1ng population and its link \vith the San Antonio-Austin Metropolitan areas. Most property crimes go unsolved, this being due in large part to an inability to link the offender 'With the crime with the level of evidentiary methods we presently have at our disposaL Patrol officers, the initial \itallink with the community conduct the initial investigation, using techniques such as photography and fingerprinting. Fingerprints are submitted into evidence and are generally filed away, pending identification of an offender. Several times each week, detectives drive to the Texas Dept. of Public Safety (DPS) in Austin, Texas to submit fingerprint cards into the DPS Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) system. Being a central point of submission for a large number of police agencies in addition to their O'WTI investigator's submissions, the Texas DPS AFIS lab remains quite backlogged. It is not unusual for a 6-month turn around time from the time we submit fingerprint cards to the time we get a response from the lab. San Marcos Police investigators spent an average of 15 hours per week in the submission of fingerprint cards to AFIS. The procurement and installation of an AFIS terminal at the San Marcos Police Department will not only result in untold numbers of man-hour savings, but also the progressive identification of offenders of not only property crimes, but also of sexual assault, robbery and homicide. San Marcos has always experienced tough financial decisions due it's exponential growth rate, the effect of its proximity to large metropolitan areas, and large non-taxable areas (Southwest Texas State University). While scores of new homes are being constructed in the area the vast majority lie well outside the city limits. The city does not enjoy tax relief from this construction but at the same time must fund the effect this burgeoning population has on the city as a whole. While police services are not provided to these areas, these individuals work and shop 'Within the city thereby demanding the need for additional personnel and other resources. The same is true for the university population. University students, while the vast majority are not homeowners thereby paying ad valerom taxes, still must be counted in our requirements for staffing and equipment. From year to year, San Marcos struggles to meet the law enforcement needs demanded by the growing community.