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Q&A
Current caseload counts and logistical challenges for probation officers
1:28:01
ยท
5 min
Council Member Farias inquires about current caseload counts in each borough for family and adult probation services, as well as the logistical challenges faced by probation officers required to appear in court for their cases.
- Adult probation caseloads range from 41 to 54 cases per officer across boroughs, with a citywide average of 48
- Family probation caseloads average 25 cases per officer, with Staten Island having 12-15 cases on average
- Commissioner Holmes addresses logistical concerns about court appearances, mentioning that courts will accommodate scheduling conflicts
- The department is working on implementing a court notification system similar to the police department's
- Holmes is pushing for more vehicles for probation officers and has requested unlimited MetroCards for all officers
Amanda Farias
1:28:01
Great, thank you.
1:28:01
I'd like to turn over to some questions on caseload.
1:28:04
We understand that caseloads have doubled or tripled over the past two years with The Bronx, Brooklyn and Queens handling the highest numbers of adult services.
1:28:13
What's the current caseload count in each borough for family and adult probation services?
Juanita Holmes
1:28:17
Okay, so we'll let adult answer for adult.
1:28:19
And then family, I think it's still on average to be about 25.
1:28:23
The
Antonio Pullano
1:28:26
caseloads have not doubled or tripled.
1:28:28
Although the cases have gone up, part of that internal structuring that we referred to previously, we've moved officers from non supervision positions to supervision positions.
1:28:36
So our overall citywide average is 48 cases, which is actually lower than it was previously.
1:28:43
That said we can go per borough.
1:28:47
We have a range between forty two and forty nine.
1:28:54
I think one outlier may be pushing up to like 52.
1:28:57
So depending on which branch or which borough we're talking about.
1:29:00
But that's typically our range and again the average is 48.
Amanda Farias
1:29:04
Average 48 per borough?
Antonio Pullano
1:29:06
Yeah, that's the case load per officer.
Amanda Farias
1:29:09
And do that How many cases per officer?
1:29:10
The breakdown per borough?
Antonio Pullano
1:29:12
I do, yes.
1:29:19
I apologize.
1:29:21
Just a moment.
1:29:23
Alright, so each borough, so our average caseload we have for Brooklyn Forty Nine Point Eight, for The Bronx 40 6 Point 7, for Queens 53.9, I apologize I misspoke, 53 not 52.
1:29:37
Manhattan's 40 one point one and Staten Island is 41.3.
Amanda Farias
1:29:41
Okay great and family?
Unknown
1:29:46
We have on average 25 cases per probation officer in Staten Island because they have a low their cases are about 12 to 15 on average.
Amanda Farias
1:30:00
Okay so every other for the four of the boroughs around 25 and Staten Island is 12 to 15.
1:30:04
Thank you for that.
1:30:06
DOP now requires probation officers and supervisory probation officers to appear in court for their own cases as mentioned prior including violations of probation.
1:30:15
How is this logically feasible when one officer may have cases in multiple courts and locations and are officers provided any benefits like vehicles for travel or reimbursements for expenses?
Juanita Holmes
1:30:27
Right.
1:30:27
So we hear that but I'm not experiencing much of that.
1:30:29
Right.
1:30:30
So we hear, you know, the what ifs, right.
1:30:32
The what ifs are addressed.
1:30:33
If they have multiple cases, the courts will cancel.
1:30:37
What we've done to address this also is that, you know, you know, it's it's often mentioned that I come from the police department.
1:30:45
Yes.
1:30:45
And I think in technology it was a well oiled ship because the actual court notifications goes to the respective member's command.
1:30:54
As a result of such, we are now meeting and have met with sound thinking who's putting that in place for us.
1:31:00
So what happens is you're able to see or the respective DA requesting the appearance of the particular individual see that they have another court date on that particular date and then that would they would change that respective court date.
1:31:14
As far as vehicles, I'm always pushing vehicles, vehicles, vehicles.
1:31:18
I don't think they have enough vehicles, right, and then where I formally came from you tripping over vehicles, but we've requested vehicles, the vehicles that they're allowed to buy, buying from a particular vendor, it's a hybrid, it goes out, it comes in.
1:31:32
But with that being said, what I did was I put in to get metro cards for every probation officer.
1:31:40
Right?
1:31:41
So when they're doing their job throughout the city, they have a metro card.
1:31:44
Police off officers had it.
1:31:47
I had it.
1:31:47
You know, you're able to take the train if you didn't have a vehicle.
1:31:51
I'll speak with my DC of administration.
1:31:53
I think you were overseeing that.
1:31:54
Correct.
1:31:54
Where we at with that now?
Christopher Marte
1:31:55
We've been in communication.
1:31:57
It's with the general counsel of the MTA right now.
1:31:59
It was in communication with her as recently as yesterday to procure, we're going to say travel passes because the metro cards may be transitioning to Omni, but those conversations are happening right now, something we're actively pursuing.
Juanita Holmes
1:32:12
And that will be every year.
1:32:13
So it expires and then we reupe it, get the old one back, give them a new one still they have that.
Amanda Farias
1:32:19
Okay.
1:32:20
And, sorry, actually just a clarification.
1:32:23
So, if we're given a travel pass, right now it's MetroCard, so you're putting x amount of rides on it or is it
Juanita Holmes
1:32:30
It will be unlimited.
1:32:31
So, the ones that we have now are the same ones we use for clients, right?
Lincoln Restler
1:32:35
You give it
Juanita Holmes
1:32:35
to them one or two, but this will be for a probation officer to use.
1:32:39
It'll expire at the end of the year unlimited throughout the city and that way they are free to go and
Amanda Farias
1:32:45
And how are we monitoring that they're using that solely for the purpose of
Juanita Holmes
1:32:49
it will be because naturally there will be security measures in place to ensure it's only being used in the city and during work hours.
1:32:58
And again, technology.
Amanda Farias
1:33:00
Sure.
1:33:01
And any reimbursements for other expenses that may be incurred?
Juanita Holmes
1:33:04
I'm sorry?
Amanda Farias
1:33:05
Any other reimbursements for expenses that may be incurred that are I
Juanita Holmes
1:33:09
I haven't heard of anything but it should be.
1:33:12
It's something we can visit, you know, if that is an issue.
1:33:15
Listen, I am always saying that, you know, I'm one person.
1:33:19
I am the commissioner.
1:33:20
But these executives that support me here, they know their responsibilities and any time that there's a question, I mean they have great representation.
1:33:29
They have a union president, you know, that's here that represents them and always concerned about their concerns.
1:33:36
As far as DC thirty seven, Anthony Wells, Carl Cook, anyone can come and say simply, here's what we're having, here's what we're seeing, what can we do for our members?
1:33:45
I'm all about making life easy but efficient, right?
1:33:50
But I always say we still have a job to do.