Does Whitefish Bay Have Enough Police Officers?

Federal statistics show the Whitefish Bay Police Department had one of the lowest staffing ratios among North Shore police departments in 2011.

With 24 police officers serving a community of 14,171 people, the police department staffed 1.69 officers for every 1,000 people living in the village in 2011. Whitefish Bay's staffing ratio is lower than all neighboring communities and most North Shore communities, except for Mequon.

Although Whitefish Bay's staffing ratio is lower than other communities, Whitefish Bay Police Chief Michael Young, who took office on Nov. 12, said the department appears to have adequate staffing levels.

Use this searchable database on Patch to find the different populations of  municipalities across Wisconsin and see how your town ranks with police protection. Data is from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's annual Crime in the United States report, which incorporates information reported to the FBI by law enforcement agencies. This report covers 2011.

There are no federal or state — or even local — mandates for how many officers provide optimal protection and service. The International Association of Chiefs of Police in a recent patrol staffing and deployment study states plainly:

"Ready-made, universally applicable patrol staffing standards do not exist. Ratios, such as officers-per-thousand population, are totally inappropriate as a basis for staffing decisions."

Instead, the study says needs should be determined by a number of different factors, including:

• Priorities
• Number of calls for service
• Population size, density and composition
• Citizen demands for protective services
• Municipal resources

How do police stay busy in Whitefish Bay?

Read the regular police blotters to find out.