🔥 Policy Deep-Dive: Public Safety & Fiscal Realignment

🛡️ Core Policy: Increase Police & Fire Staffing

“Helena has grown. Our emergency services haven’t. I want to change that—without raising your taxes.”

✅ Rationale

• Helena's population has tripled over recent decades, yet:

  • HPD and Fire Department staffing levels have flatlined

  • No new public safety hiring budgets have been approved in decades

    
    

• Shawn has firsthand experience:

  • 10+ years volunteering with the Helena Police Department

  • 6 months in the Lewis & Clark Sheriff's Reserve Program

💰 How He Plans to Fund It: Budget Reallocation

• Conduct a line-by-line audit of the current city budget.

• Identify non-essential or redundant programs to trim or consolidate.

• Redirect those savings to hire, equip, and train new police officers and firefighters.

Issue	Voter Concern	Shawn’s Response
Rising crime & longer response times	Safety is becoming a bigger worry, especially in growing neighborhoods	Add more boots on the ground—trained, community-connected, and funded smartly
Tax fatigue	Helena voters just rejected multiple levies	No new taxes—just more innovative use of your tax dollars
Government bloat	Perception that city staffing grows while services lag	I’ll audit and prioritize service, not overhead

🔄 Strategic

• Create a Public Safety Task Force That Includes citizens, department representatives, and budget analysts to foster public trust.

• Champion transparency: Post quarterly budget reviews showing where cuts were made and how new hires are progressing.

• Link to economic development: Safer cities attract new businesses, families, and investment.

🧠 Bottom Line

My public safety platform hits the right tone for a city weary of growth without backbone. It's data-backed, experience-driven, and fiscally grounded—that's a rare combo in local elections.