Page 20 - FY 19 Budget Forecast 91218.xlsx

2.2 percent of the total taxable value of the city. Of the new value, $109 million was new residential
construction and $21 million was new commercial construction. The new construction value is a decrease
of 8.7 percent from the current year and a decrease of 41.4 percent compared to the record‐setting 2016‐
17 Fiscal Year.

Public Safety

The safety of our citizens continues to be one of our top priorities, and it shows. Our police and fire
departments, both of whom continue to be recognized at the state and national levels for their successes,
make up 21.9 percent of the city’s total budget and 46.5 percent of the General Fund budget.

Keller regularly earns a spot among the 50 Safest Cities in Texas as well as the 100 Safest Cities in America.
The Keller Police Department has also recently been awarded the highest national accreditation possible
for a second time: the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies’ Gold Standard
Accreditation with Excellence. Keller PD was the first agency in Texas to be both nationally and state
accredited, and NETCOM 911 followed suit this summer becoming the first regional dispatch center in
Texas to earn national accreditation from CALEA. A new Accreditation Manager position is being funded
by the KCCPD Fund in the adopted budget to manage the accreditation programs and maintain the
reporting requirements. This will free up a sworn officer to be able to serve on the street.

During FY 2018‐19, the Keller Police Department will be partnering with the Keller Center for Advanced
Learning to allow students interested in public safety to be considered for part‐time positions upon
graduation. This is a new recruiting and hiring initiative that we hope will engage students who wish to
pursue careers as first responders. Additionally, Keller PD continues to invest in equipment and in its
headquarters on Rufe Snow Drive. In FY 2018‐19 we will be replacing wall coverings, removing a wall to
create a more open flow and replacing the sprinkler system that has been in place since 2005. Vehicle and
equipment purchases include the rollout of a new body camera program, additional neighborhood speed
signs, and the replacement of six vehicles (including four marked patrol units), cameras, radar and bicycles
for the KPD Bike Unit.

The Keller Police Department is also on the cutting edge of regionalization, finding cost savings and
improved service through working with our surrounding communities. By regionalizing 911 dispatch as
well as jail and animal services with our area partner cities, the total cost of police services will be offset
by $3.1 million in annual revenue this year.

In 2016, the Keller Fire Department became the seventh fire department in the state and the first in
Tarrant County to earn status as a Recognized Best Practices Fire Department by the Texas Fire Chiefs
Association. The EMS capability of the department has also recently been recognized, receiving the
American Heart Association’s 2017 Mission: Lifeline EMS Gold recognition for success in treating heart
attack patients.

This year’s Fire Department budget includes upgrades and additions to existing equipment, including
replacements of an administrative vehicle, a Fire Pumper costing approximately $680,000, thermal
imaging cameras and a respiratory fit test machine, all of which are on the replacement schedule and due
for upgrades.

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