Wichita city council members are looking at moving $1 million within the city budget to use for the second phase of a police staffing program that was recommended by a 2017 study.

During a discussion Tuesday on the city’s 2020 budget, Mayor Jeff Longwell proposed taking the $1 million out of a planned $2.5 million for a tort fund.  He said the next phase of a police staffing initiative needs to get started this year with additional officers to be hired in 2020.

City manager Robert Layton said the police department has taken another look at the staffing study conducted by Wichita State University, and there was a plan to create a central operations bureau, but because of growth in the downtown area, the department is suggesting that the second phase should be used to create a central bureau for downtown.  Layton said that would create the city’s fifth bureau and it would be staffed with an additional 18 positions.   He said the plan also calls for eight new positions in the investigations division.

Layton said it will take time for recruitment and training, so he suggested using the $1 million to start the training class this year for ten officers and purchase equipment needed for phase two staffing.   He said in 2020, the department would be able to bring in an additional 16 positions.

City council members agreed to move forward with that plan for next year’s budget, which is scheduled to be adopted at next week’s council meeting.