Millcreek names Sergeant John Shire officer of the month; UPD reports staffing squeeze eased by signing bonuses

Sergeant John Shire was named Millcreek’s officer of the month for December during the Jan. 27 council meeting; Shire was not present to accept the recognition.

City and police leaders told the council the recognition reflects leadership on the afternoon patrol shift, which the Unified Police Department (UPD) said is its busiest shift. UPD briefed the council that vacancies on that shift led to significant manpower difficulties and required officers from other precincts to fill gaps.

An agency spokesperson described how officers temporarily assigned from other precincts were less familiar with Millcreek’s geography and regular service calls, and credited Sergeant Shire with supervising those assignments so patrols remained “safe, effective and efficient.” The spokesperson said the UPD vision of partnering with the community guided the department’s approach and that Shire’s leadership helped maintain service quality.

Council discussion noted that the UPD and the Salt Lake County sheriff’s office reorganization previously created open allocations. The council and staff said the UPD board authorized a signing bonus and other incentives to recruit officers; those incentives, started about four months earlier, produced lateral hires and filled the previously open positions, which in turn removed the formal requirement for mandatory overtime.

Mayor Celestini and others cautioned there remains a prospective retirement risk: several officers are eligible or nearing eligibility for retirement, and a wave of retirements could again create vacancies. The mayor said that, for now, recruitment has been successful and the department should be at or near full strength.

No formal council action was taken on police staffing at the meeting; the matters were presented for information and oversight.