Muskego police chief outlines staffing, school-safety changes and possible public-safety referendum; commission votes to enter closed session

The Police and Fire Commission of Muskego City on Oct. 12 heard an extended report from the police chief about internal staffing, school safety and dispatch scheduling, and voted to convene a closed session to discuss a letter of reprimand for an officer.

The police chief told commissioners the department conducted an employee engagement survey whose results were “mixed to poor,” and said the department will focus this year on clearer communication, improved change management and “move the needle” on leadership and performance. “If somebody doesn't understand something, I need to engage those employees,” the police chief said. He said the department pulled command staff off-site to set three specific goals for the year.

The chief described a change to dispatch staffing that places more employees between about 7:30–8:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m., the hours the department tracks as the busiest. He said the department has implemented minimum staffing standards on some shifts — including a minimum of two dispatchers during certain hours — and reported a reduction in overtime in the first month after the change. The chief acknowledged trade-offs for dispatch staff: “Understand that…