That's what Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson may want capital city residents to do.
He is seriously considering pushing for a property-tax hike to add 15 more patrol officers and two additional administrators to the force, Deputy Mayor Rocky Fluhart said Thursday.
The bump would raise $1.6 million, and cost $10 more a year on a home worth $150,000 and $130 more on a $1 million business.
While the new officers would be spread throughout the city, Fluhart said the mayor wants more police in parks - in part because of the recent stabbing and shooting at Liberty Park - and on the streets at night.
A stronger summertime police presence in parks would "give people a sense of security and also be readily available to respond to any problems we have. We just want to make sure in the evenings - when sometimes there is rowdy behavior and there is violence - there are enough police officers to make a very strong response," Fluhart said.
Anderson must decide by Tuesday whether he will seek the tax hike. That's when he presents his proposed 2005-06 fiscal-year budget to the City Council.
Council members would ultimately decide the issue - and some have expressed skepticism. Four of the seven are up for re-election in November.
"I am not ready to vote on property taxes," said Jill Remington Love, noting she wants more information. She is running for re-election.
Dave Buhler, whose term isn't up this year, said that while police is his "highest priority, I don't know if it's necessary to raise property taxes this year to fund police."
The councilman pointed out that the department isn't filling existing vacancies.
Chief Rick Dinse told the council in March he needs 15 more officers. He doesn't have enough money to remain fully staffed at 188 officers because he must also cover overtime and other expenses.
Police officials say they won't comment on a possible tax hike until Tuesday.
Fluhart said the property tax would fund new positions, not simply fill the existing vacancies, which he said would be filled over time. The number 15, he said, was a coincidence.
With more officers, police officials have said they could lower their response times to 911 calls and work on crime prevention.
The police already add more patrols in parks during peak summer hours. But the patrols drop off during the winter and early spring. Earlier this month a man was fatally stabbed at Liberty Park on a Sunday, and Dinse said he would step up patrols earlier in the season.
Brian Watkins, a Liberty Park neighborhood community activist, said he would be willing to pay higher property taxes if that meant more officers in his neighborhood.
"It seems like a fair deal. I'd love to have another one."
hmay@sltrib.com
Biggest budget
The Salt Lake City Police Department has the city's largest department budget - at $45 million - and it has weathered cuts over several lean years.
A recent ranking of safe cities put Salt Lake City in the lower half - at 256 out of 354 - based on rates of murder, rape, aggravated assault, robbery, burglary and motor vehicle thefts.
According to a draft 2004 FBI report, the number of violent crimes, forcible rapes, aggravated assaults and motor-vehicle thefts increased in the city from 2003 to 2004, while murder, robbery, property crime, burglary, larceny and arson dropped.
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