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Council approves additional police detective-hourly position to deepen investigative capacity
Summary
The council adopted Ordinance 2025-10 to increase the number of hourly employees in the police department, adding capacity for detectives and investigations, council heard.
The Mount Vernon City Council adopted Ordinance 2025-10 on May 12 to fix the number of hourly employees in the police department and to add staffing intended to strengthen the detective division.
Chiefs and council members said the extra detective support will make investigations and surveillance safer and reduce the burden on patrol officers, who can be tied up for hours on major incidents. A police representative described drug investigations as "very dangerous" and said having a second detective available allows the division to "operate more aggressively" while remaining safer and more self-sufficient.
Council noted that additional detective resources were included in the budget for the year. Supporters said the added capacity would free patrol officers for response duties and reduce overtime pressure. The ordinance was presented for third reading and adopted after council discussion.
Ending: Council encouraged continued monitoring of operations and staffing impacts; staffing assignments and schedules will be managed by the police department to balance investigative needs with patrol coverage.
